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Live Tracker & Positions Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

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Andoo Comanche takes out Sydney to Hobart as supermaxi makes race history

Australian supermaxi Andoo Comanche secured a fourth line honours victory in the gruelling Sydney-Hobart ocean race Wednesday, but fell short of setting a new course record.

The 100-foot yacht, skippered by John Winning Jnr, triumphed in a nail-biting finish in the early hours of Wednesday after leading the blue water classic for much of the race.

It completed a quartet of line honours wins for the boat in the prestigious event since 2015 under a third different owner.

Andoo Comanche crossed with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds -- about 20 minutes in front of rival supermaxi Law Connect -- and just under three hours short of its own record.

The current race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds was set by the same Comanche boat under a different skipper in 2017.

Winning Jnr was part of the team that won the event in 2016, but said it was something special to skipper his own crew.

“To do it in a campaign that I was part of putting together is really quite exceptional,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

Last year’s defending champion Black Jack crossed third, followed by Wild Oats, which fell behind after tearing one of its sails earlier in the race.

The 109-strong racing fleet set off from a sun-splashed Sydney Harbour on Monday afternoon, charting their way through the 628-nautical mile course (1163km) to Hobart.

Favourable weather early in the race raised the prospect of toppling that mark, but the strong winds faded as the boats barrelled towards the finish line in Hobart.

The Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the mainland, can unleash perilous conditions.

A deep depression proved catastrophic for the fleet in 1998, when six sailors were killed and 55 more were rescued after five boats sank.

Race officials on Tuesday evening said only three of the starting fleet had been forced to retire so far.

One of them, 40-foot yacht Yeah Baby, withdrew less than four hours into the race after reportedly colliding with a massive sunfish.

Dozens of smaller yachts were still in the water Wednesday morning, competing for the handicap prize, which compensates for boat size.

READ BELOW FOR A FULL WRAP OF ALL THE ACTION FROM THE RACE!

Comanche held a consistent lead of 20 nautical miles throughout the afternoon as it moved towards the Derwent with LawConnect telling the Nine papers they expect to arrive at Constitution Dock in Hobart at around 2am AEDT.

As darkness neared, Wild Oats XI fell back into fourth having suffered sail damage overnight while reigning line honours winner Black Jack was third, some five nautical miles behind LawConnect.

FOLLOW THE LIVE RACE TRACKER HERE

Comanche led the fleet into Bass Strait in the early morning, but slipping well behind LDV Comanche’s race record from 2017. Three of the four supermaxis (100-plus-footers) ran well east of the rhumbline to take advantage of marginally stronger winds, before turning back towards the coast of Tasmania around midday.

There were two retirements on the first day, with two-hander Avalanche the first to pull back to shore with a damaged bowsprit after a collision with Llama II just outside the Sydney Heads. Llama II escaped with only superficial damage.

Yeah Baby then retired in the evening after sustaining rudder damage near Wollongong due to a collision with a sunfish, but returned safely to Sydney.

Koa then became the third retirement after breaking her rudder, and is set to be towed to Eden on the NSW south coast, leaving 106 yachts still in the race. Enterprise Next Generation put in a request for redress after helping their stricken rival.

WILD OATS COPS DAMAGE OVERNIGHT

Hamilton Island Wild Oats came within 0.3 nautical miles of Black Jack around 2am overnight in the hunt for third position, before Black Jack surged in the early morning.

The pair traded positions throughout the day, with Wild Oats taking a line significantly closer to rhumbline.

It followed a wild start where both Comanche and Wild Oats were forced to take penalty turns following a series of near-misses in Sydney Harbour (more below).

Wild Oats - hunting a record tenth line honours win - then suffered damage to one of their two largest sails overnight.

Their veteran crewman Chris Links told NewsLocal a seam across one of their large downwind sails split, requiring running repairs on deck.

“It is not an easy job,’’ Links said.

“It has a cable in it and we had to do the repair on deck.

“It took around one and a half hours to repair.’’

LIVE STREAM

Watch live on-board action from LawConnect below.

WILD START CAUSES CHAOS

“Protest, get the flag up, that was f***ing bull***t,” someone yelled on Andoo Comanche in the first two minutes after being cut off by rival supermaxis LawConnect and Black Jack.

URM and LawConnect were also “inches” away from crashing into each other, according to URM skipper Ashley-Jones.

Less than a minute later, one of the crew was heard barking: “you’re asking for a clusterf***, we’re going to be in a collision,” and labelled one rival a “f***ing idiot”.

Comanche hit a turning mark as it exited the heads and was later spotted flying a protest flag of their own, after another boat protested them.

On Wild Oats, which took two penalty turns, skipper Mark Richards could be heard yelling “furl, furl, we are going to do a 720 (penalty turn)”.

Wild Oats famously lost the win in 2017 upon arrival in Hobart, after being handed a one-hour penalty for a rule breach over an incident with Comanche.

That race saw the record time set, with 2022’s Comanche roughly eight nautical miles behind the 2017 edition’s pace late on Monday night and falling further back overnight.

EARLY RACE UPDATES AND PREVIEW (via AFP)

More than 100 yachts set sail Monday on the Sydney-Hobart race as favourable winds raised hopes for a record time in one of the world’s most punishing ocean events.

Fans gathered at coastal vantage points and on spectator boats in a sun-splashed Sydney Harbour, which hours earlier had been shrouded in a thick fog that halted all ferry traffic.

The starting cannon fired to release 109 yachts on the 628-nautical mile (1,200-kilometre) blue water classic.

Crews dashed to get out of the city’s harbour on the first leg of the race down Australia’s eastern coast and across the treacherous Bass Strait towards the finish line in the Tasmanian state capital.

A final weather briefing on race day predicted “fresh to strong” north to northeasterly winds in the next day or so, giving the fastest, 100-foot supermaxi yachts a chance to challenge Comanche’s 2017 record of one day, 9 hours, 15min and 24sec.

Mark Richards, skipper of nine-time line honours-winning supermaxi Wild Oats, said his crew was buoyant after preparing for exactly these conditions.

“We put all our eggs in one basket and we put all our money on black for a downwind forecast and we have ended up getting it,” he told public broadcaster ABC.

“I think Wild Oats is going to be very fast,” Richards added. “The world is going to find out who is the fastest boat downwind.”

Wild Oats is competing for line honours against three rival supermaxis: Andoo Comanche, last year’s line honours winner Black Jack, and LawConnect.

Weather is a critical factor in the race, which was first held in 1945. Though the supermaxis are expected to be powered by northerly winds to a quick finish as early as Tuesday, slower mid- to small-sized boats will still be in the water in the following days facing possible gales and changes in wind direction.

In 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait, six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued.

Black Jack took line honours last year after a tight tussle with LawConnect, ending years of frustrating near misses to cross the finish line on the River Derwent after two days, 12 hours, 37min and 17sec.

Ichi Ban, which is not racing this year, was the 2021 winner of the overall handicap prize, which takes into account the yachts’ sizes. The boat pipped rival Celestial in a race where dangerous waves and weather conditions saw many withdraw.

International boats are making a return after the race was cancelled in 2020 for the first time due to the pandemic, and Covid hit the fleet last year.

Entrants come from Germany (Orione), Hong Kong (Antipodes), Hungary (Cassiopeia 68), New Caledonia (Eye Candy and Poulpito), New Zealand (Caro), Britain (Sunrise) and the United States (Warrior Won).

Sunrise is a proven ocean racer, winning the 2021 Fastnet Race in Britain, while Caro has been tipped to take out overall handicap honours, although skipper Max Klink played down his prospects ahead of the race saying: “I do not think we are the favourite.”

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Sydney to hobart yacht race 2023: rolling updates, latest news, favourites, weather, drama, tracker.

By amanda lulham

• News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
• 3:03PM December 26, 2023

The 78th edition of the Sydney to Hobart shapes as one of its most memorable, with an ominous weather forecast set to wreak havoc on the 103-strong fleet.

The four supermaxis Andoo Comanche, the defending champion, Scallywag, LawConnect and Wild Thing 100 are the big contenders for the line win - but the overall corrected time victory is anyone’s guess.

Follow our live coverage of the race below.

2.30PM: SCALLYWAG CONFIRMS PENALTY

Skipper David Witt has confirmed he has done two 360 degree penalty turns to exonerate Scallywag from a potential issue at race end arising from close combat with arch rivals Andoo Comanche just after the start of the Sydney to Hobart.

“We just did circles,’’ Witt told The Daily Telegraph around 2.20pm.

Andoo Comanche sailing master Iain Murray indicated he was unhappy with an incident not long after the start where they and Scallywag came close after Scallywag tacked in front of them.

If Scallywag had not done her penalty turns and was found at race end to have infringed in the incident they could have been slugged with a time penalty or worse.

1.30PM: DRAMA AS YACHTS BEGIN CLEARING THE HEADS

Christian Beck’s LawConnect has claimed the honour of being the first yacht to Sydney Heads and out to sea after a thrilling start of the 78th race.

But the yacht then caused confusion when she did a 360 degree turn.

It was unclear at first if this was to sort an issue with the furler or for a penalty.

But soon after the yacht had more issues with their furler in a major early drama for the supermaxi.

Meanwhile Defending champion Andoo Comanche has claimed Scallywag has tacked too close to them in an hair-raising incident soon after the start which will require the later to do a penalty turn or potentially face a protest.

Comanche sailing master Iain Murray said the incident between the pair was a “classic port and starboard” with Scallywag tacking too close to Comanche.

It is unclear if Witt and his team on Scallywag agree or if they will do exonerating turns at a later date.

The drama happened in the opening 20 minutes of the 628nm race.

1.00PM: 78TH SYDNEY TO HOBART UNDERWAY

The 78th Sydney to Hobart has begun under ominous skies, in light winds and with a strange forecast hanging over the heads of the 103 starters who set sail at 1pm in a spectacular sight on Sydney Harbour

The fleet, slammed by a violent downpour before the start, set off in sunshine from four start lines with defending champion Andoo Comanche and her rivals for line honours - Scallywag, LawConnext and Wild Thing - all in pole position.

Spectator fleet numbers were down but anticipation high as the yachts jockeyed for the bets position at the start.

On the front line, that honour went to LawConnect on one end Scallywag on the other end of the line.

12.45PM: FREAK STORM HITS RACE START

A torrential downpour just before the start of the Sydney to Hobart was a preview of what is to come in the 78th race south.

As nervous crews prepared for the action-packed start they were hit by a violent rain cell which also packed some thunder and lightning.

More of the same is forecast for the first afternoon and night at sea.

Yachts left the dock early on Tuesday to check the conditions and do practice runs at the four start lines being used.

This year’s fleet boasts both the line honours and overall winners from a year ago in Andoo Comanche and Celestial.

11AM: SAILORS ‘NERVOUS’ AMID OMINOUS FORECAST

The fleet has started to leave the dock at the CYCA well in advance of the 1pm start with some nervous sailors aboard the 103 starters.

A forecast with everything and anything - including electrical storms, rain, erratic winds and a big bash - has sailors a little nervous and apprehensive.

“You’d think after so many races you wouldn’t be nervous but you are,’’ said Alive navigator Adrienne Cahalan, preparing for her 31st race south as the most capped woman in the race.

“This forecast is a tough one. It will be like a chess game.’’

Prior to the start sailors must parade by race officials to show they have their storm jibs, the smallest sails on a boat and bright orange - aboard.

And they may need them with wild winds forecast for most of the fleet in Bass Strait later in the race, along with 3m seas.

It’s plainer sailing for the line honours contenders who may sidestep almost all of the upwind on the menu for the majority.

The 2023 Sydney to Hobart fleet are on alert for things that go bump in the night and halt boats dead in their track in the light as they prepare for the start of the famous ocean race on Sydney Harbour at 1pm today.

Race management has warned sailors to watch out for sunfish and other obstacle in the water which have over the years included submerged containers, debris, sharks, whales and most commonly sunfish.

These speed bumps have ripped off keels, holed yachts and sheered rudder off, triggering major rescues at sea.

Just a year ago Huntress lost her rudder after hitting a sunfish. DRAMA AT SEA

Numerous line honours contenders, including yachts steered by Grant Wharington, aboard Wild Thing 100 in this race, have had their rudders, daggerboards or keels torn off, ending their races and victory dreams.

“Be conscious there are a lot of wildlife out there,’’ said had of the race committee,’’ Lee Goddard at the race briefing.

“There are large concentrations for this race.’’ RACE GUIDE

SYDNEY TO HOBART FAVOURITES

The two major awards are the line honour win and the overall corrected time victory.

The four supermaxis Andoo Comanche, the defending champion, Scallywag, LawConnect and Wild Thing 100 are the big contenders for the line win.

The overall is still very much in the air but the likes of URM and Monneypenny and an assortment of TP52s are considered movers and shakers in this race. There’s also some hope for the two-handed boats in this class.

The defending overall champion is Celestial owned by Sydney sailor Sam Haynes.

The weather forecast for the Sydney to Hobart is one of the most unusual in years.

Rather than being firmed up days in advance, it has kept sailors guessing right until the last minute - with potentially more changes ahead.

The good news is there isn't any indication of severe weather like the low which exploded over the fleet back in 1998 triggering mass search and rescue missions and claiming the lives of six men.

However the smaller boats in the fleet can still expect a torrid time at sea. WEATHER AND

INSIDE 1998 RACE

FAMILY TIES

There are numerous family connections in the 2023 race with one skipper sailing with his daughter for the first time and a sister joining her father and brother at sea.

Grand Wharington’s daughter Georgia is jumping aboard his 100-footer Wild Thing while Jamie Winning-Kermond is aboard for her first race south on Andoo Comanche.

Her brother John “Herman’’ Winning is the skipper an her father John Senior, or Woody as he is known in sailing circles, is back after racing the supermaxi to victory in 2022.

Amanda Lulham

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

How to follow the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

• Toby Heppell
• December 19, 2022

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is due to set off on boxing day once again in 2022, with an impressive 111 boats due to take to the startline

Sydney sailors are counting down the days – not until December 25, but the 26, for the much-anticipated Rolex Sydney Hobart Race .

The blue riband offshore classic was cancelled for the first time in its 76 years in 2020, but bounced back in 2021 and will go ahead one more this year with an impressive fleet of 111 boats entered for the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which begins on Sydney Harbour at 1pm Monday 26 December.

As is often the case in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, the bulk of the fleet is made up of Australian boats and teams, but there are 8 international boats participating this year, including entrants from Germany ( Orione ), Hong Kong ( Antipodes ), Hungary ( Cassiopeia 68 ), New Caledonia ( Eye Candy and Poulpito ), New Zealand ( Caro ), the United Kingdom ( Sunrise ) and the United States of America ( Warrior Won ).

At the sharp end of the fleet, four 100-foot maxis will lead the charge for Line Honours – Andoo Comanche , Black Jack , Hamilton Island Wild Oats and LawConnect . On current form, Andoo Comanche is likely to be favourite to cross the finish line first.

The start of the Sydney Hobart Race means a congested Sydney Harbour. Photo: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Black Jack won Line Honours in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, while Andoo Comanche holds the race record (1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds) and Hamilton Island Wild Oats (formerly Wild Oats XI ) has the most Line Honours wins in race history, with nine.

Two-handed entrants will for the first time be eligible to win the Tattersall Cup (the prize given to the winner of the race on handicap). A total of 21 two-handed boats are preparing to race, including those that finished second and third respectively in the race’s inaugural Two-Handed Division last year – Crux (Carlos Aydos/Peter Grayson) and Speedwell (Campbell Geeves/Wendy Tuck).

How to follow the 2022 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race

• In Australia Sydney is expected to send off the fleet in style when the race starts at 1300hrs (local time) on Saturday, 26 December.

Spectator boats can watch the start from the eastern channel and follow the fleet down the Harbour to the Heads. Spectator boats wanting to remain in the Harbour may remain in the western side. Exclusion zones will be in place from 1200-1400.

• On television The race start will be broadcast live via the Seven Network, through 7Mate around Australia.

Live coverage will also be webcast on the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website, with replays available shortly after. See  https://rolexsydneyhobart.com/

• On social Follow the event on twitter for race updates and via  Facebook

• On race tracker The live race tracker will be viewable at  https://rolexsydneyhobart.com/tracker

• Play along on Virtual Regatta

There is also a Virtual Regatta edition for the race, allowing you to virtually pit yourself against thousands over the same course, see  https://www.virtualregatta.com/en/offshore-game/

If you enjoyed this….

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LCE Old School is sailed consistently well - Andrea Francolini, RPAYC pic

Whisper is among the line and overall contenders - Andrea Francolini, RPAYC pic

Post start last year - Andrea Francolini, RPAYC pic

Race is on to win 2024 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race

Over 30 boats will be on the start line for the 2024 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race this Friday when monohulls, a multihull and two-handed entries will share the start line off Barrenjoey Headland for the 1pm start.  

Respected sailor, Theresa Michell, has joined forces with Paul Beath and his J/99, Verite, for their first major two-handed race together. Newcomers to the Pittwater Coffs, Beath did the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart in two-handed mode with another co-skipper. He and Michell’s first two-handed training session was a four-day return trip from Hobart.

“It was all upwind. Not particularly pleasant,” Beath remembered. “One of the reasons she is doing this race with me is because she sailed with me fully crewed in the Sydney Gold Coast race and the rest of the Blue Water Pointscore last year and we get on well.

“And this race is at a nice time of year,” the Novocastrian said of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s (RPAYC) 226 nautical mile race.

Although she halted racing at the end of the 1990s to raise a family, Michell’s credentials are outstanding in both two-handed and fully-crewed sailing, as a skipper, navigator and crew.

She contested the 5500 nautical mile two-handed Melbourne to Osaka race in 1999 on an Adams 10 that she also skippered in the 1998 Double-Handed Trans-Tasman Challenge from Sydney to New Plymouth in New Zealand. She has sailed on the international scene, done Sydney Hobarts and sailed an Olympic class dinghy.

“This is a new team in a new race and we think it’s a good distance. We’ll get our systems together and get organised,” Beath commented.

“It will be a demanding race because of the currents and fluctuating conditions.”

The pair are expected to be competitive against all-comers, including other two-handed entries such as Chris O’Neill, who returns with Blue Planet after finishing the race seventh overall last year.

“We also won PHS and were second in ORC – and these results were exactly the same in the two-handed division,” he said.

This time he will be co-skippered by Tom Johnston, who helped him to sixth in the two-handed division of the 2023 Sydney Hobart.

“It’s a fun race and a good location in Coffs, it’s not too strenuous and importantly, there’s been sufficient time between this race and the Sydney Hobart – I’ve forgotten all the pain,” O’Neill said wryly.

Among the latest fully crewed entries for the 38 th  ‘Pittwater to Coffs’ is David Griffith’s record breaking JV62 Whisper, which will likely battle Geoff Hill’s Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes, for line honours. Whisper is also a favourite for the overall win, but due to the many weather vagaries at this time of year, the race really is wide open in all classifications.

On his quarry, Whisper’s owner says: “With her long waterline length, if Antipodes gets reaching conditions, she is quick, she will take off. We’re in pretty good shape though and the boat’s in perfect order.”

Griffith says his crew will also hold them in good stead. Among them are Rear Admiral Lee Goddard, Michael Coxon, Dougie McGain, Michael Fountain and Brett Van Munster. 

“Either way, it’s a wonderful race and the Alfreds do a great job,” Griffith said. “Everyone loves a destination race and Coffs Harbour is a great destination with lots to do.”

Others chasing overall glory are regular DK46 rivals Khaleesi (Sandy Farquharson/Rob Aldis) and LCE Old School Racing (Mark Griffith). At the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta in early March, the latter placed second in the Open division on home turf, while Griffith’s boat, from RPAYC, was second. Another DK46, Nine Dragons, was declared the winner. 

Pierre Gal has entered the Asia catamaran Stealth 12.60 named Fez. The French expat, who lives on the NSW north coast, is a name locally and internationally, competing in the America’s Cup for France and has Australian victories too.

Incidentally, Gal won Division 4 of the 2019 Sydney Gold Coast race with Mistral, the same Lombard 34 that won the 2023 Pittwater Coffs race for two-handed sailors, Rupert Henry and Greg O’Shea last year.

Follow the fleet on the race tracker at:  https://yb.tl/pittwater2024

For all information go to:  www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au

Di Pearson/RPAYC media

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

• 29 Jan, 2024 11:27:00 AM

Thank You for making the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – A Race for the Ages

Reflecting on the resounding success of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023 fills us with gratitude. The coordination required for hosting such an iconic event was made possible by the dedicated efforts of everyone involved.

• 23 Jan, 2024 10:00:00 AM

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023.

• 22 Jan, 2024 09:00:00 AM

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A Race for the Ages

The 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was one of the most challenging offshore classics in years and delivered some of the tightest finishes for both Line Honours and Overall victory in the race's history.

• 01 Jan, 2024 09:00:00 AM

Four boats still racing – reflections on Toecutter’s debut

This morning four yachts remain at sea in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Jason Bond’s Beneteau First 47.7 Enigma (NSW) and Kiwi husband and wife, Michael and Tracey Carter on Allegresse, both due to finish today.

• 01 Jan, 2024 08:59:00 AM

Q & A with Charles Devanneaux – owner of US entry Lenny

**Charles Devanneaux (second from right) with crew of LENNY** Although French, with a full French crew, Charles Devanneaux represented the USA where he lives.

• 01 Jan, 2024 07:00:00 AM

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

Explore the below links to discover footage from the different race days in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race shot by Rolex.

• 31 Dec, 2023 07:10:00 PM

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

The 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will go down in history as a relentlessly demanding test of determination, as well as physical and mental resilience for the 103 yachts taking part.

• 31 Dec, 2023 07:00:00 PM

Jessica Watson arrives in Hobart to great fanfare

When Azzurro, the ‘Little Boat That Could’, docked in Hobart this afternoon just before 3.45pm, there was a huge crowd waiting to meet her – or more precisely, one of her crew – Jessica Watson OAM, who had just finished the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

• 31 Dec, 2023 05:30:00 PM

Vanessa Dudley completes her 25th Rolex Sydney Hobart

When the modified Joubert 42, Tilting at Windmills, docked in Hobart this afternoon, crew member Vanessa Dudley became just the third woman to achieve the milestone 25 Sydney Hobarts in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s race.

• 31 Dec, 2023 05:04:00 PM

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

• Line Honours

Full Standings available approximately three hours after the start.

OFFICIAL ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART MERCHANDISE

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

Sydney to Hobart yacht race: Andoo Comanche takes the day one lead with SHK Scallywag losing ground

Sport Sydney to Hobart yacht race: Andoo Comanche takes the day one lead with SHK Scallywag losing ground

Race favourite SHK Scallywag is one of the three first casualties of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race after the vessel's bow sprit broke early Tuesday evening.

Skippered by David Witt, the SHK Scallywag from Hong Kong, had recently undergone modifications, added some well-known crew and appeared to be in great shape.

But without the bow sprit, continuing the race would prove impossible.

Andoo Comanche has taken the lead late on a dramatic opening day of the race, after a string of incidents including a protest and a penalty turn. 

After a slow run in the early stages down the coast, the leading chances for line honours picked up speed later in the afternoon once they headed offshore to maximise their momentum.

The forecast predicts difficult weather for the fleet on Tuesday night and into Wednesday, with storm activity, erratic winds and possible hail.

As at 7:00pm AEDT, Andoo Comanche was leading, offshore between Lake Conjola and Milton, travelling at 24.4 knots.

LawConnect trailed by 3.8 nautical miles, travelling at 24.6 knots. Wild Thing 100 was third, 16.1 nautical miles behind Andoo Comanche.

Not long after SHK Scallywag retired, Arcadia from Victoria, along with Rum Rebellion, also reported they had left the race. 

The race began in typically tense fashion on Sydney Harbour.

LawConnect got the jump at the start and was the leader at the opening mark. But soon afterwards a problem getting their sail up led them to jibe away from the lead and the spectator craft, leaving Andoo Comanche and Scallywag with the advantage.

However with all crews pushing things to the edge, a protest flag came in from Andoo Comanche, claiming Scallywag had tacked too late, forcing them to take evasive action with their sail luffing, losing momentum.

Swearing could be heard on board Andoo Comanche as they shouted out their protest after the near miss.

Scallywag sailed clear in the lead and was first out of the Heads, but facing the possibility of a time penalty at the end of the race if Andoo Comanche's protest was upheld, skipper David Witt chose to execute a double penalty turn off Bondi. Scallywag lost ground due to the move.

Six years ago, Wild Oats XI chose to race on after a protest from Comanche, and the one-hour time penalty incurred at the end of the race ended its line honours hopes.

Later in the day, Andoo Comanche retook the lead, passing LawConnect with Scallywag in third. 

The winds were not strong on the way down the coast and the race was a lot slower than last year, with the leaders reaching Wollongong after three and a half hours of racing, an hour later than last year's race.   

Look back at how the day unfolded in our blog.

• 7:45 AM 7:45 AM Tue 26 Dec 2023 at 7:45am Andoo Comanche still leads, Scallywag losing ground
• 5:38 AM 5:38 AM Tue 26 Dec 2023 at 5:38am Andoo Comanche is officially leading ... but not by much
• 5:28 AM 5:28 AM Tue 26 Dec 2023 at 5:28am Scallywag did do penalty turns

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Live updates

That's where we will leave it.

By Andrew McGarry

Right now the race for line honours is a head-to-head duel between Andoo Comanche and LawConnect, but it would be foolish to make too many predictions about how things will go into night one and beyond.

Please keep monitoring the story above the blog, which will be updated if there are any official announcements on Scallywag.

Thank you all very much for joining me on our live coverage of the race south from Sydney.

Thanks to Bob William s on board Sylph VI for talking to us mid-race, and thanks to everyone for your comments and questions. I'm sorry we couldn't get to answer all of them.

There will be more stories covering the race tomorrow as the race heads towards Eden and Bass Strait.

For now, I'm Andrew McGarry and it has been a pleasure to bring you day one of the blue water classic.  

Has there been more than one cat in the Sydney-Hobart?

Hi Andrew, I'm afraid Oli might not be the first cat in the Sydney-Hobart yacht race. Apparently a cat was on board the yacht Connella in the second race of 1946-47. (According to the Pittsworth Sentinel - Fri 10 Jan 1947 and others - Trove). - Nick

Andoo Comanche still leads, Scallywag losing ground

Five and a half hours down, and Andoo Comanche remains in the lead, heading south at 22 knots.

Last year's winner leads by 2.5 nautical miles from LawConnect, which is going at 18.8 knots.

There is now an increasing gap with the rest of the fleet. Wild Thing 100 is now third, 15.2 nautical miles from the lead, travelling at 17.3 knots.

SHK Scallywag (7 knots) is fourth, 18.1 nautical miles from the leader, and it appears David Witt's boat may have turned north-west. We have no confirmation of anything happening on board, but it does not look like a normal course right now.

LawConnect and Celestial

What do you think the chances are of law connect winning line honours and celestial winning handicap ? - Scott

It's very hard to pin down at this early stage of the race. You can tell which boats won't be playing a part in the overall result, but it's a difficult task to isolate particular boats and say where they might finish or who is likely to win.

Celestial is currently 10th overall, going at 13.5 knots 32 nautical miles south of Botany Bay.

The issue with overall is it's not just the speed you're going at, it's the handicap you have. Celestial has a lower handicap than most of the boats ahead of her, but they're all going faster.

If it all slows down, then Celestial could well improve position and be fighting it out.

As far as LawConnect goes, it literally is a three-way battle for line honours as things stand. Christian Beck's supermaxi is 1 nautical mile behind Andoo Comanche, and 3.6 nautical miles in front of SHK Scallywag. But right now, it's the slowest of the three.

The chances are that the head of the fleet will hit some difficult conditions later tonight and tomorrow, particularly once they get to Eden and points south. How the main contenders fair then will tell us a lot about which way the race for line honours is going to go.

I could see any of the three as a possible line honours winner right now. As it stands, it could well be a showdown between Andoo Comanche and LawConnect. If the winds drop, that may allow Scallywag to come through.

Line of the race so far

Does Oli the cat being on the boat make it a catamaran?? - Louise Teague

Bravo, Louise, that's a cracker of a pun.

I hope for Oli's sake, that he has a smooth passage to Hobart on board Sylph VI, and that he's not feline too poorly by the end of the race.

I'll show myself out ...  

is it going like Clockwork out on the water?

Can you tell us anything about the only South Aussie boat in the field which is apparently named 'Clockwork' please? What are its chances of winning overall (handicap) honours? - StevoR

Apologies for the delay in getting to your comment. Clockwork is a Sydney 38 class boat in this year's race.

It's 11.8m long, and there are 10 crew on board, led by owners Andrew Lloyd and Mary Ann Harvey.

At the moment, they are going along at a bit over 6 knots, which compares favourably with a fair number of the fleet right now. They are still nine nautical miles SE of Botany Bay, which tells you how favourable (or not) conditions have been this afternoon, four and a half hours into the race.

Clockwork is 76th in the race for line honours, and 81st in the race overall.

The current prediction is that it will cross the line in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve — when you put in the corrected time to take into account it's size and other factors, the race time would have it crossing the line at 4:25am on New Year's morning.

So they're unlikely to win the race overall, but they're finish time and placing will depend a lot on what weather they face and when and whether they can avoid the worst of the conditions their competitors may have to face over the next few days.

The race is tough - and not just for those on the boats

My partner, Michael, is skippering our boat 'Merit' in the race. I didn't race as don't do well on lack of sleep, but think I won't sleep anyway as will be refreshing the tracker every 5 minutes for the next 3 days! - Jo

I understand the nerves when you're following from on-shore, but that's amazing that Michael is in the middle of it all heading for Hobart as part of the blue ocean classic.

I know that I don't need to tell you what the tracker is saying, but for the rest of our readers, Merit — a 19.3m Volvo 60 round-the-world racing yacht - is going along in the middle of the pack at present.

Like many of the boats in their area, well offshore, south of Bundeena, the winds have dropped off. Merit is going at 2.2 knots, and is a little over 25 nautical miles from the lead.

Now that the leaders have picked up the big winds, the race is quickly separating into two, with the main part of the fleet with little momentum for the moment, and some leaders flying ahead with the best of the conditions.

Good luck to Michael and the rest of the crew (not to mention the other 102 crews out on the water), and I hope it's not too nervous a wait for you Jo until Merit reaches Hobart.    

Andoo Comanche is officially leading ... but not by much

We are three and a half hours into the race, and the leaders are passing Wollongong, which tells you the pace of the race is different this year.

In the 2022 edition, the leaders were going past Port Kembla two and a half hours after the start.

However, the winds are clearly picking up and the leaders are gaining momentum as they go down the coast.

A few minutes ago, LawConnect was leading narrowly, but things have changed again.

The new leader Andoo Comanche is flying along at 25.2 knots, 0.4 nautical miles ahead of LawConnect, which is currently travelling at 18.5 knots.

Scallywag is still third, racing the furthest offshore of the leaders. It's working for them, however, as they have closed the gap to 2.9 nautical miles, and they are the fastest boat out there at 25.6 knots.

The other supermaxi on the water, Wild Thing 100, is 10.4 nautical miles back in fourth. Grant Wharington's boat is going at a respectable clip, at 20.6 knots.

Scallywag did do penalty turns

Race officials have confirmed Scallywag completed a 720-degree penalty turn off the coast of Bondi Beach, to avoid a possible time penalty at the end of the race.

Reigning line honours champion and 2023 favourite Andoo Comanche lodged an early protest, accusing Scallywag of tacking too close to her.

The boats appeared to come within metres of each other as they made their way out of Sydney Harbour.

Comanche's crew could be heard on broadcast coverage yelling "protest" to the Hong Kong-based 100-footer before formally flying a red flag.

Scallywag thrives in lighter winds such as those reported at the start of the race and, hoping to lead the fleet out of the heads, was slow to react to the protest flag.

But the fact the incident had taken place in the harbour meant Scallywag had only a limited distance in which to complete the penalty turns, or risk receiving a time sanction on arrival in Hobart.

In 2017, Wild Oats XI opted not to respond to a protest from Comanche early in the race and a subsequent one-hour time penalty cost her a line honours victory.

Update on Sylph VI and Oli the cat

As we said earlier, we are keeping an eye on the two-handed sloop Sylph VI on its way to Hobart.

The boat first competed in the race in 1961. Williams bought it 25 years ago, and he, along with first mate Chris Warren is on the way south — along with his cat, Oli.

Speaking to Williams, the 12.5m long boat is going well and has avoided trouble so far.

"We're where we expected to be — at the back of the fleet!" he said.

"It's bouncy conditions, but we've got a bit of breeze and we still have the fleet in sight."

Sylph VI was on the fourth start line, furthest back. But this meant they had less of the spectator craft to negotiate.

What of his historic fellow crew member, the first cat to sail to Hobart?

"Oli has crashed out on the starboard settee, with his head on the pillow — he looks very peaceful," Williams said.

It's going to be a long haul to Hobart, but they are going at a nice 6 or so knots at the moment, and things are good.

There will be some bad weather on the way, but they haven't hit anything so far.

"There are thunderheads around, we can see them, but nothing near us so far," Williams said. "There is potential for hail, so we'll have to keep our eye out.

"The main issue for us will be when we get further south and we get some very strong southwesterly breeze.

"We'll see how we go when we get down there."

How does Oli go in storms?

"I don't like rough weather that much either, but Oli usually finds a comfortable spot to curl up in, often down the back end of the quarterberth. "It's nice and cosy, he curls up in a ball and stays asleep for a while. Later he'll come out for a bit of food ... and a pee, maybe!"

You can follow their progress on Sylph VI (or for that matter on any of the boats in the fleet) on the race tracker .  

Seeking the breeze

Hi Andrew, With Scallywag & LawConnect heading further offshore, do you think their strategy is to pick up the Eastern Australian current or try to find a stronger breeze? What is the speed of the Eastern Australian Current in the fastest part of the current? I presume it’s position relative to the coast varies quite a bit as it makes it way down the east coast from the tropics, assuming Scallywag & LawConnect are looking for the current, how will they find the optimal part? Many thanks, Rob (Maryanne’s husband & Mandy’s Dad - so I just had to ask a question!!!) - Rob

I don't know the answer of where the strongest current is or will be. What I do know is that as of the final weather briefing this morning, the BOM were saying that this afternoon they expected light, variable winds closer to shore.

Offshore, the expectation was that winds would be E to SE 10-20 knots. The winds the supermaxis are currently experiencing are towards the lower end of that range.

My best guess is that the big four — who are all well out from shore right now — will be staying out there for the moment, in search of the strongest winds, rather than the current.

The prediction is that once the fleet gets beyond Eden, wind speeds will increase to 20 to 30 knots (albeit still E to SE winds blowing largely away from Hobart).

  Who knows who will benefit most from this. Will it be the smaller boats, or will the inevitable happen and the 100-footers pull ahead? We shall see.

First out of the Heads

Who was first out of the heads? - John

Sorry folks, for those who were keen to know who was officially first out of the Heads, it was actually Scallywag.

LawConnect was first around the first mark, but after their sail problems, they were overtaken by Scallywag, who were first to get out of the Heads.

After all the boats got hit with a wind drop, LawConnect then briefly took the lead, but again were not the first out.

It's been a crazy old start, eh?

Why do people jump off the boats?

Hi Andrew, can you please talk us through how and why the two crew from Scallywag ended up in the water? - Maryanne

Hello Maryanne,

The explanation for why the people jump off the boats is that they are not actually crew.

As part of the coverage of each year's race, camera operators and photographers usually go on board one or two of the leading contenders as they are going through the harbour and the Heads, in order to take pics / send back footage.

The issue is, of course, that unless they want to actually go to Hobart, they need to get off the boat at some point.

The only way to do that is to jump off, so that they can be picked up by waiting boats.

I haven't heard anything concerning coming out, so I presume all went smoothly, and the camerapeople and photographers are currently drying off (or filing pictures like mad, as the case may be....).

Change at the top?

This is definitely not your usual start to the Sydney to Hobart.

An hour into the race, the head of the fleet are usually heading southwards at a rate of knots — upwards of 20, in some cases — and there is definite momentum with one or other of the leaders.

Not so this year.

It's a game of cat and mouse out on the water right now.

Andoo Comanche is taking a (relatively) inside line, and has sneaked in front. The defending champion is just ahead, travelling at 11.4 knots at the minute. Between it and the coast is URM Group, the 21.8m long boat skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones. It is going at 8.4 knots.

Further out to sea is LawConnect — it is further south than the others, but in terms of the lead it is officially 0.3 nautical miles behind Andoo Comanche, going at 9.2 knots.

Behind them is Philip Turner's Reichel Pugh 66 Alive — the boat that won overall in 2018.  

Alive (0.4 nm behind) is going at 7.4 knots on a similar line to Andoo Comanche. More smaller boats are in the mix, with Moneypenny (1.3nm back), No Limit (also 1.3nm behind) and Smuggler (1.6nm) all travelling in the middle channel.

The widest run of all is Scallywag, who is now almost out of picture on the tracker, searching for wind.

It's going to be a fascinating afternoon if the winds stay light and give the smaller boats a chance.

A question on the rules

Hey Andrew, I'm new to sailing so sorry if this is a dumb question. Who determines if Scallywag has to do the turns and how long they have to do them? - Maddy

Maddy, where things stand is that Andoo Comanche has put in a protest flag already after that close call in the harbour.

Andoo Comanche are claiming that Scallywag chose to tack too late, forcing them off course to avoid a collision.

From here it's all pending. The judges will be sitting in the protest room in Hobart, waiting for the race to finish.

While the boats are on the water, there will be no decision made. As the saying goes, it's now up to Scallywag's crew to decide if they are feeling lucky.

If they want to take the chance — and so far it looks like they do — then they will sail straight to Hobart and hope that the judges rule with them at the end.   A few years back, Wild Oats XI was issued with a one-hour penalty in Hobart for an incident near the start of the race.

If they are not so confident, then they need to do those two turns (or a 720 degree turn, for the mathematically inclined out there), before they get a certain distance down the coast. If they do that, then the protest is cleared, and it's all systems go - but Andoo Comanche and others would doubtless gain ground.

The upshot, Maddy, is that it's not hard and fast, and it depends on the final ruling. #ClearAsMud

A speed update for the leaders

The leaders are certainly not blazing a trail down south as things stand.

Scallywag leads, but the boat is travelling at 9 knots. It's nearest challenger, Andoo Comanche, is going at 9.6 knots.

LawConnect is further back and the furthest out to sea, searching for winds to fill their big sail. They are travelling at 6.9 knots.

Scallywag has clear air - will they keep it?

We are about half an hour into the race, and Scallywag still leads the fleet, with Andoo Comanche in second and LawConnect in third taking a wide line out of the Heads.

Alive is doing very well so far in about fourth spot, although they will be playing the long game to Hobart, looking more to the overall title than line honours.

Scallywag is still going straight ahead, and there is no sign of them turning to do the penalties.

They have until a little way down the coast (around Bondi) to take the turns, but if not they will have to rely on the judges seeing things their way once they get to Hobart!

Already the race record track of LDV Comanche (as it was in 2017) is beginning to stretch away from the fleet.

One day nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds is a ridiculously fast time to Hobart, and any challengers will need EVERYTHING to go right to beat it.

Frustration on board Andoo Comanche

Sailing Master Iain Murray is speaking to Olympian Lisa Darmanin on Seven, and he's not happy.

Asked about the incident with Scallywag, Murray said:

"It's a classic port-and-starboard (incident). That's too close (from Scallywag).

"You can't do that with 100-footers. We'll see".

Asked about the speed of the boat, Murray said:

"We're really struggling to get up to speed in this wind."

A reminder of how to watch

In case you are trying to watch the action, a reminder to check out 7Mate on free-to-air or 7Plus if you want to stream it.

There's a LOT going on

Everyone is having issues with their sails. The conditions are not clear, and now Andoo Comanche is taking its time to change sails.

Behind them is LawConnect, but they have their sail fixed finally, and while Andoo Comanche is going up and down.

Now LawConnect has passed last year's winners — and there is some colourful language coming from the deck of Andoo Comanche!

Meanwhile Scallywag has taken advantage of their rivals problems, and they have sailed clear in first place!