The first Rolex Sydney Hobart Race was started shortly after the end of the Second World War. The 80th edition of the Christmas classic starts on Boxing Day. 132 registered yachts show the unbroken attraction of the 628 nautical mile long-distance race through the Tasman Sea. It has written history and stories, but has also claimed lives - and yet remains a fascinating pinnacle of international sailing.
Originally, a group of Australian sailors wanted to organise a cruise from Syndey to Hobart in 1945. But when Captain John Illingworth from the British Royal Navy suggested a race during a visit, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race was born. Nine boats took part in the first edition. Illingworth's "Rani" completed the race in 6 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes and was the only boat in the fleet to finish in the old year.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: lots of light, but also shadows
There is a world of difference between the winning time at the premiere and the record of just 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set in 2017 by the Australian 100-foot yacht "LDV Comanche", which the hunters have been chasing for eight years. And the eventful and moving history of one of the legendary races of the international sailing world - with a lot of light, but also some shadows.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has claimed a total of 13 lives in its 80 years of existence. The most recent accidents were not so long ago: 55-year-old Roy Quaden and 65-year-old Nick Smith died in 2024. Both had been hit by goose bumps on their yachts "Flying Fish Arctos" and "Bowline" during "crash jibes" on the first night of the race.
The 1998 race went down in racing history as the deadliest edition. Back then, six sailors lost their lives in a storm of the century. One of them was the Olympic Laser, Soling and Star sailor Glyn Charles, who went overboard in the Bass Strait and was never recovered. An unforeseen storm with wind speeds of up to 80 knots and skyscraper-high waves had hit the fleet with murderous consequences.
The tragedy of the 54th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race
55 crew members were rescued in a large-scale mission. Five boats sank and many were severely damaged. Larry Ellison's "Sayonara" came through and won the line honours. The Hick 35 "AFR Midnight Ramble" sailed to overall IMS victory in the dramatic conditions. The events at the time shook the entire sailing world. The tragedy subsequently led to much stricter safety regulations.
Today, even the preparation leading up to the accepted entry is tantamount to a mammoth task. "It takes several months of intensive work," said Freddy Böhnert, who took part in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in 2018 with his son Arno, daughter Inga and five other crew members.
Hasso Plattner's 80-foot Reichel/Pugh "Morning Glory" has been synonymous with golden German moments in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race since 1996, winning line honours with a race record on her debut in the Christmas race. The crew on the maxi built by John McConaghy broke the record of 2 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes and 10 seconds, which had previously been held by the American "Kialoa III" for 21 years.
Hasso Plattner's "Morning Glory" successful
Older sailing fans still have fond memories of the thrilling final sprint of the 24.05 metre "Morning Glory" 29 years ago, because the final up the Derwant River was close. In the end, the crew under sail number GER 4540 managed to beat the long-standing "Kialoa III" record by just under half an hour.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race has always been very demanding. For the tenacious and daring challengers, this is part of the magical attraction that the race unfolds every year. The exposed Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from Australia like a huge canal, forms a large "playing field".
But heavy weather and technical low blows can hit participants anywhere and at any time on the 628 nautical mile course. Christopher Opielok experienced a near-disaster in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in 2017. However, the crew was eventually able to bring their TP 52 "Rockall" into harbour under their own steam. The "Unfinished Business" the Hamburg-based company completed the 2023 with the JPK 10.80 "Rockall VIII", settled the outstanding bill after a Race with highs and lows in the brutal finale.
With tears of relief at the finish line
He experienced dangerous breakers in extreme swell, which the shipowner had previously only seen from on board freighters. And the hardened Fastnet sailor and Atlantic crosser admitted: "For the first time, I was a bit scared for the crew and the ship." When he handed the tracker back to the race organisers after the race, tears of relief ran down his face. Many sailors in 80 years of racing history have felt like him. And yet so many keep coming back. 132 yachts are expected to line up on the starting line this year.
Last year, race commentator Gordon Bray, a veteran of more than 50 years, said of the "almost fatal attraction" of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: "You can't ignore it. It's one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar. It's an adventure for sailors. And I think what makes it so captivating for the public is that you just don't know what's going to happen."
