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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
COMING SOON
18 March, 2026
View Results

Home Race 1979 Recap

1979 Race Recap

Ron Holland designed Screw Loose

Screw Loose, Overall Winner 1979

Hitachi Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 1979

Race Program

Prior to each race Cruising Yacht Club of Australia publishes a separate official race program (with details of competing boats, the results of past races and articles about the race and its participants and other important events).  The 1979 Edition is here.    

Weather

First spinnaker start since 1967 to give all yachts a fast passage to the Heads before a 12 knot sou'easter. Outside the Heads, all yachts were close hauled and the breeze backed to the east for two hours.

Late on the first afternoon a line squall passed over the fleet gusting to 35 knots. It eased during the night. After a brief calm patch the breeze filled in from the nor'east to give a quick skid across Bass Strait before a 30 knot breeze. Dawn on the third day saw yachts light running before a 10 knot nor'wester; light breezes and thick fog down the Tasmanian coast prevented the big boats taking top honours, but a freshening sea breeze brought all the little boats home to dominate the major placings.

Race reports

After each race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's magazine Offshore contains photo galleries, reports and articles on the race.  Read on to access them.

February/March 1980 Offshore - see pages 9 to 16