Big fleet for Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Entries have closed for the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with 142 yachts preparing for the 628-nautical mile course from Sydney Harbour to Hobart. With 38 more entrants than last year, it is the second biggest fleet this century behind the 2019 edition that celebrated the 75th edition of the event. The 80th edition has 13 boats from overseas including from Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, USA, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Poland.

Entry highlights:
• 2024 Overall winner Celestial V70, skippered by CYCA Commodore Dr Sam Haynes amongst five past Overall winners – Celestial V70, Love & War, Unicoin, Wild Oats XI (now Palm Beach XI), and Wild Oats.
• 2023 and 2024 Line Honors victors, Christian Beck’s LawConnect
• Six 100ft maxis, led by LawConnect and including Master Lock Commanche (Matt Allen & James Mayo), Wild Thing 100 (Grant Wharington & Adrian Seiffert), Mark Richards’ Palm Beach XI, Bill Barry Cotter’s Iuxury cruiser Maritimo 100 and Hong Kong based international star SHK Scallywag
• 11 female skippers, including Elizabeth Tucker leading an all female crew aboard First Light
• 20 Double Handed entries
• Introduction of the IRC Cruiser/Racer Division

Richards, with his entry Palm Beach XI, has taken ownership of the yacht formerly called Wild Oats XI. The yacht returns after a two-year hiatus appendage upgrades that feature a new deeper keel fin and bulb, upwind daggerboards, and C-foils to optimize lift and minimize drag.

Haynes, who last year became just the third sitting Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore to win the event, is aiming to become the first to win twice while in charge of the host club. He also claimed the Overall title in 2022 with his TP52 Celestial.

Last year, Haynes and Celestial V70 claimed the George Adams Tattersall Cup for the Overall win by 9 hours 44 minutes and 42 seconds — the largest since Rani’s victory in the race’s first edition in 1945.

Incredibly, that margin of victory could have been even larger, save for a few issues with the yacht’s sail wardrobe, something sure be an ominous sign for this year’s Overall contenders.

“One of the things which happened at the very start (in 2024) was the A3 (sail),” said Haynes. “It ripped and the sail gave way. It was an older sail. It had delamination. So, we actually have a whole (new) sail wardrobe coming for the boat, which is quite a significant upgrade on a Volvo 70.”

Details – Entry list – Facebook

The 2025 Sydney Hobart Race extends 628-nautical miles from Sydney Harbour to Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania. The start on December 26 takes place in the heart of the Australian summer, with 142 entrants planning to take on the 80th edition.

Source: RSHYR