Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is one of the notable 600 nautical mile offshore events, with 109 boats participating in the 26 December start in 2022.
Back in the States, I struggle with how this race can ruin holiday plans and make the 77 edition a success, but again, I can’t imagine a summer Christmas day. Santa Claus delivers presents on a sleigh instead of a surfboard.
Starting within Sydney Harbour is dangerous and is the way all offshore races are started. It’s easy to grab attention with great images and athletics. You could argue that tacking upwind in a small space is a problem for a 100 foot player, but catching a pass across the middle in a football game is also a problem. It may take a little effort to turn your head.
It was a quick race on the downwind, but no elapsed time record was set when John Winning Jr and his Ando Comanche team took their fourth line honor in this 100-footer. The 52-footer (again) dominated the entire race, with Sam Haynes and his Celestial crew winning by 15 seconds behind him. Topping the double-handed division, dubbed by the Australian as ‘two-handed’, his duo were Lombard 34 Mistral’s Rupert Henry and Greg O’Shea.
This race can be very unfriendly, and even when you slide down eastern Australia mostly offwind, people once again start to question their sanity, and the life of certain species of marine life weighing up to 2200 pounds. became difficult.
Kudos to whoever keeps this race going, but just one more notable 600 miler – the race from Newport to Bermuda – that misery doesn’t need my company I was able to know They all hear he’s not as bad as 1985, but don’t bother to test that claim.
Growing up in California, an offshore race heading downwind, getting warmer by the day, and finishing amidst swaying palms and tropical cocktails can drive your senses of right and wrong out of whack, in a good way.
Race Details – Tracker – Results – Facebook
2022 marked the 77th edition of the 628 nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with 109 boats taking part at the start on 26 December. 157 teams departed in 2019, but since then the 2020 race has been canceled due to the pandemic. There are 88 entries for 2021.
Departing from Sydney Harbor, the fleet sailed down the southeast coast of mainland Australia into the Tasman Sea, crossing Bass Strait (which separates mainland Tasmania) and down Tasmania’s east coast. At Tasman Island the convoy turns right into Stormher Bay and continues up the Derwent River to the historic port city of Hobart.
