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The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (sometimes referred to as the 'Bluewater Classic' in the Australian media) is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles. The race is run in co-operation with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The race was initially planned to be a cruise, but has grown over the decades, since the inaugural race in 1945, to become one of the pre-eminent offshore yacht races in the world and it now attracts maxi yachts from North America and Europe. The 2004 race marked the 60th running of the event. The current race record was set in 2005 by Wild Oats XI, which crossed the line in a time of 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds.[1].

Contents 1 History 2 Holy Grail 3 Rules 4 Yachts 5 Results 6 Records 7 Women's involvement 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links

The inaugural race in 1945 had nine starters. Rani was the winner, taking six days, 14 hours and 22 minutes. Race records for fastest time dropped rapidly. However, it took 21 years for the 1975 record by Kialoa from the USA to be broken by the German boat Morning Glory in 1996, and then only by 29 minutes. In 1999 Nokia sailed the course in one day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and two seconds, a record which stood until 2005.

Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the race since 2002, and since then the race has been known as the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It will continue to have the naming rights until 2010.

Traditionally, crews of yachts celebrate on New Year's Eve at Constitution Dock in Hobart.

Bass Strait, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean immediately to its east, are renowned for their high winds and difficult seas. Even though the race is held in the Australian summer, "southerly buster" storms often make the Sydney-Hobart race cold, bumpy, and very challenging for the crew. It is typical for a considerable number of yachts to retire, often at Eden on the New South Wales south coast, the last sheltered harbour before the Bass Strait crossing.

The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was marred by tragedy when, during an exceptionally strong storm (which had similar strength winds to a lower-category hurricane), five boats sank and six people died. Of the 115 boats that started, only 44 made it to Hobart. As a result, the crew eligibility rules were tightened, requiring a higher minimum age and experience. A coronial enquiry into the race was critical of both the race management at the time and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. [2]

In 1999 the race record was broken by Nokia, a water-ballasted VO60 yacht. She sailed the course in 1 day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and 2 seconds. Brindabella reached Hobart just under one hour later (1 day, 20 hours, 46 minutes, 33 seconds) and Wild Thing was a close third (1 day, 21 hours, 13 minutes, 37 seconds). The previous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race record had been set by Morning Glory (2 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds) in 1996.[3]

In 2004 only 59 yachts completed the course of the 116 who set out from Sydney. Storms hit the race. The super maxi Skandia capsized after losing her keel. [4]

In 2005, Wild Oats became the first boat since Rani to win the "treble," taking Line Honours, winning the Corrected Handicap (IRC), and breaking the course record. (1d 18h 40m 10s, over 1hr off of Nokia's record.)

In 2006, 78 boats started the race, including entrants from the United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, every Australian state and the Australian Capital Territory. The race started on schedule at 13:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time[5]. Wild Oats XI, owned by Bob Oatley and skippered by Mark Richards, crossed the finish line at 21:52 on 28 December 2006 to take line honours with an elapsed time of 2 days, 8 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds. Wild Oats XI became the first yacht to win the race in consecutive years since 1964 and only the sixth yacht to achieve this since the race's inception. Love & War, owned by Peter Kurts and skippered by Lindsay May, won the race overall (IRC Handicap) in a corrected time of 3 days, 22 hours 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Love & War became only the second yacht to win the race three times (1973, 1978 and 2006). The yacht Freya won the race in three consecutive years between 1963 and 1965. Gillawa from the Australian Capital Territory, skippered by David Kent, was the sixty-ninth and last boat to complete the 2006 race, making it the third consecutive year that the yacht was last in the fleet. [6] Official Race Results - 2006

With the smashing of the Sydney-Hobart Race Record in 1999 by Nokia, and a host of other super-fast boats, that completed the course in under 2 days for the first time - the Holy Grail of the Sydney-Hobart race, a completion of the course in a time under the 40hr mark became a possibility, rather than an improbability, for the first time. Many of the skippers competing in the Sydney-Hobart race in recent years have expressed a desire to be the first to record a time under the once thought of as impossible mark of 40hrs, and with the right conditions it becomes a tantalisingly close possibilty to strive for.

Much public attention focusses on the race for "line honours" - the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largest "maxi" in the fleet. There is also a handicap competition, a race for what is regarded as Australia's foremost offshore sailing prize the Tattersalls Cup. The exact rules for the handicap trophy have changed over the years. In general, each boat's time is adjusted on the expected speed of the boat based on its size and other characteristics. The International Offshore Rules were superseded by the International Measurement System (IMS), and the International Rule Club 2000 (IRC) [7] For 1991, 1992 and 1993 there were two overall winners, one under IMS rules and the other under IOR rules. In 2005, the overall handicap winner will be determined on IRC handicap results [8]. In theory, this should make for an even competition between yachts of all sizes, however in practice often only the newest and most advanced boats (regardless of size) can sail fast relative to their rating. In addition, in a race of the length of the Sydney-Hobart weather conditions after the maxi yachts have finished can often determine whether they will win on handicap - if the winds become more favourable after they finish, they will lose on handicap, if they become less favourable they will win.

The race is conducted under the Racing Rules of Sailing determined and published by the International Sailing Federation.

For the 2005 race, the event organisers have removed certain restrictions on the boats. As successful sailing is based on a good power to weight ratio, larger sails are expected to help break race records.

The fleet comprises mostly sloops, that is yachts with a single mast on which is hoisted a fore-and-aft rigged mainsail and a single jib or genoa, plus extras such as a spinnaker.

The race has encouraged innovation in yacht design. Between 1945 and 2005, the most successful yacht designer has been the New Zealand designer Bruce Farr, who has designed 15 overall winners.

• Details of Previous Results

Year	Line Honours	LH (Actual) Time d:hh:mm:ss	Handicap Winner	HW (Corrected) Time d:hh:mm:ss	Starting fleet size	Finishing fleet size
2006	Wild Oats XI	2:08:52:33	Love & War	03:22:02:37	78	69
2005	Wild Oats XI	1:18:40:10	Wild Oats XI	03:03:54:32	85	80
2004	Nicorette^	2:16:00:44	Aera	04:02:52:09	116	59
2003	Skandia	2:15:14	First National Real Estate	03:14:14:17	56	52
2002	Alfa Romeo	2:04:58:52	Quest	2:04:46:46	57	53
2001	Assa Abloy	2:20:46	Bumblebee V	N/A	75	56
2000	Nicorette^	2:14:02	SAP Ausmaid		82	58
1999	Nokia	1:19:48	Yendys	1:20:32:53	79	49
1998	Sayonara	2:20:3.5	AFR Midnight Rambler	2:12:36:23	115	44
1997	Brindabella	2:23:37	Beau Geste	2:17:21:27	114	99
1996	Morning Glory	2:14:07	Ausmaid	2:12:35:59	95	77
1995	Sayonara	3:00:53	Terra Firma		98	92
1994	Tasmania	2:17:48	Raptor	2:11:41:0	371	309
1993	Ninety Seven	4:00:54	Cuckoos Nest (IMS) / Wild Oats (IOR)		104	38
1992	NZ Endeavour	2:19:19	Assassin (IMS) /Ragamuffin (IOR)		110	102
1991	Brindabella	3:01:14	She's Apples (IMS) / Atara (IOR)		99	91
1990	Ragamuffin	2:21:05	Sagacious V	2:19:44:32	105	86
1989	Drumbeat	3:06:21	Ultimate Challenge	3:02:18:45	126	112
1988	Ragamuffin	3:15:29	Illusion	3:18:20:35	119	81
1987	Sovereign	2:21:58	Sovereign	2:21:58	154	146
1986	Condor of Bermuda	2:23:26	Ex Tension	3:01:14:30	123	106
1985	Apollo	3:04:32	Sagacious	3:04:34:37	178	145
1984	New Zealand	3:11:21	Indian Pacific	3:07:45:03	151	46
1983	Condor	3:00:50	Challenge II	2:23:07:42	173	158
1982	Condor of Bermuda	3:00:59	Scallywag	2:19:19:16	118	108
1981	Vengeance	3:22:30	Zeus II	03:19:25:59	159	143
1980	New Zealand	2:18:45	New Zealand	2:18:45	102	93
1979	Bumblebee IV	3:01.45	Screw Loose	3:03:31:06	147	142
1978	Apollo	4: 02.23	Love and War	3:12:13:00	97	87
1977	Kialoa	3: 10.14	Kialoa	3: 10.14	131	70
1976	Ballyhoo	3: 07.59	Piccolo	3:07:45:07	85	70
1975	Kialoa	2: 14.36	Rampage	02:13:16:56	102	99
1974	Ondine III	3: 13.51	Love and War	03:13:25:02	63	58
1973	Helsal	3: 01.32	Ceil III	02:17:28:28	92	90
1972	American Eagle	3: 04.42	American Eagle	3: 04.42	79	75
1971	Kialoa	3: 12.46	PathFinder	3:03:14:34	78	76
1970	Buccaneer	3: 14.06	Pacha	3:10:07:39	61	47
1969	Crusade	3: 15.07	Morning Cloud	3:04:25:57	79	75
1968	Ondine II	4:03:20:02	Koomooloo	3:13:38:52	67	54
1967	Pen Duick III	04:04:10:31	Rainbow II	3:16:39:15	66	59
1966	Fidelis	4: 08.39	Cadence	04:02:46:24	46	44
1965	Stormvogel	3: 20.30	Freya	3:10:03:26	53	49
1964	Astor	3: 20.05	Freya	3:05:58:14	38	31
1963	Astor	4: 10.53	Freya	3:06:03:17	44	34
1962	Ondine	3: 03.49	Solo	2:12:45:14	42	40
1961	Astor	4: 04.42	Rival	3:03:57:31	35	33
1960	Kurrewa IV	4: 08.11	Siandra	3:07:48:04	32	30
1959	Solo	4: 13.33	Cherana	3:08:33:02	30	24
1958	Solo	5: 02.32	Siandra	3:13:46:35	22	19
1957	Kurrewa IV	3: 18.30	Anitra V	3:00:55:37	20	18
1956	Kurrewa IV	4: 04.31	Solo	3:08:33:52	28	26
1955	Even	4: 18.13	Moonbi	3:09:21:05	17	16
1954	Kurrewa IV	5: 06.09	Solveig	3:17:58:01	17	15
1953	Solveig	5: 07.12	Ripple	3:16:12:12	23	19
1952	Nocturne	6: 02.34	Ingrid	4:09:56:18	17	17
1951	Margaret Rintoul	4: 02.29	Struen Marie	2:19:48:26	14	12
1950	Margaret Rintoul	5: 05.28	Nerida	3:20:17:13	16	14
1949	Waltzing Matilda	5:10:33	Trade Winds	3:23:39:43	15	13
1948	Morna	4:05:01	Westward	3:07:45:48	18	13
1947	Morna	5:03:03	Westward	4:24:56	28	21
1946	Morna	5:02:53	Christina	4:11:53:27	19	11
1945	Rani	6:14:22	Rani	6:14:22	9	8

• Inaugural Race Winner, 1945: Rani
• Fastest Race: 1 day 18h 40m 10s by Wild Oats XI, 2005
• Smallest Fleet: 9 starters, 1945 (first race)
• Smallest Yacht: 27ft (8.23m) Klinger, NSW, 1978
• Smallest Yacht Line Winner: 35ft (10.67m) - Nocturne, NSW,1952
• Largest Fleet: 371 starters, 1994
• Largest Yacht: 98ft Skandia, AUS, 2003
• Largest Yacht Line Winner: 30m Wild Oat XI, AUS, 2005, 2006
• Triple Fastest, Line & Handicap Winners:
  • 1945, Rani, NSW
  • 2005, Wild Oats XI, NSW
• Double Line & Handicap Winners:
  • 1945, Rani, NSW
  • 1972, American Eagle, USA
  • 1977, Kialoa, USA
  • 1980, New Zealand, NZ
  • 1987, Sovereign, NSW
  • 2005, Wild Oats XI, NSW
• Closest Race Finish: 7 seconds, 1982; Condor (UK) beat Apollo (NSW)
• Most Successful Yacht Designer: Bruce Farr (NZ), 15 overall winners
• First all-female Yacht: Barbarian, 1975 (skipper: Vicki Wilma)
• Most Races for one Woman: 15 by Adrienne Cahalan (AUS); (navigator for 2002 winner Nicorette)
• Worst Disaster: 1998, 6 sailors died; 115 yachts started but only 43 finished.

Another Australian offshore race is the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race run by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria. Known as the West Coaster, this race arrives in Hobart around the same time as the more famous Sydney-Hobart.

Women first participated in the race in 1946. The first woman to take part was Jane Tate, whose boat Active was the only one to reach Hobart in 1946. Dagmar O'Brien, with boat Connella, also took part this year. The Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the first female skipper to complete the race. In 1975, the first all-women crew sailed, with boat Barbarian.

In 2005, 24 women took part, including Adrienne Cahalan, who is famed for her around-the-world sailing, has been nominated several times for World Yachtswoman of the Year and was Australian Yachtswoman of the Year for 2004-05. In 2005 she was part of the crew for the winning Wild Oats.

In total, over a thousand women have taken part in the race.^[1]

• ^  The winners in 2000 and 2004, both named Nicorette, are different boats sharing the same sponsor; Nicorette.

1. ^ Heinrich, Karen. "Taking to the sea", Australian Women's Weekly, January 2006, pp. 230.

• MotorSM
• Wilmap
• Analysing Sydney to Hobart yacht race winning times - University of Melbourne

• Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Official site
• Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - NSW Maritime site
• Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - feature from Daily Telegraph