2015 Race Recap
/media/3078658/SYHO15sg_22672.jpg)
Balance, Overall Winner in 2015, in Storm Bay
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2015
Paul Clitheroe’s TP52 Balance was declared the overall winner of the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Clitheroe’s major rival for the Tattersall Cup, Quikpoint Azzurro gliding over the finish line in Hobart at 07.37.59 hours to claim third place.
Click here for the full race wrap
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 2015 Edition is here.
2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart - Race Documents
Amendment 1 to the Notice of Race
Weather
The 71st Rolex Sydney to Hobart started in the predicted North Easterly breeze of 15-20 knots. Kites were set at the sea mark and the fleet charged South in a 20+ knot North Easter. As the afternoon progressed, the weather became affected by the approaching pre-frontal trough – extensive thunderstorms developed inland and the build up towards the Southerly began.
The first decision for most of the fleet came near 5pm as the wind started to move left towards the North West. Routing was suggesting for many that heading offshore would bring better current and pressure, though would experience the full force of the oncoming front. Many boats went offshore, some used the opportunity to gybe towards the coast and slightly more shelter.
The front arrived in the dark. The Southerly front built to 30 knots with gusts to the mid or high 30s. Southerly conditions persisted for the majority of the NSW coast – S-SSE offshore, S-SW inshore – and much of the way to Tasmania.
By dawn on the 28th the remaining competitors faced lighter conditions. An afternoon breeze along the Tasmania coast allowed the larger boats to make good progress South, whilst the smaller end of the fleet was caught in more variable conditions.
As the boats moved South, they moved towards the second cold front moved towards the fleet – only Comanche was around Tasman Island in time to miss this. The arriving SW front came to the larger boats on the lower coast of Tasmania in the earlier hours of the 29th. Mid-size boats were sheltered by the lee effect of the Tasmanian mountains, whilst those at the back received the change as a Westerly.
The boats offshore in Southern Tasmanian waters faced a long and cold morning working straight upwind to Tasman Island in 25 knots. The boats that broke with tradition and chose to set up for the change closer to the coast were able to head South parallel to the coast on a tight reach in what was a lighter WSW breeze.
By noon on the 29th several boats were close to becalmed on the Western side of Tasman Island, and a slow, scenic beat towards Cape Raoul ensued. Once past Raoul, the SW reasserted itself and quick progress was made across Storm Bay and then stayed in as a 15 knot WSW for a very fast run up the river.
For the smaller boats offshore, the breeze stayed in the South overnight, and then through the day on the 30th changed quickly to a building Northerly, rocketing the fleet down the coast of Tasmania and then across Storm Bay and up the River Derwent in good pressure. Conditions first moderated and then glassed out as the evening progressed.
The river effectively shut down from 10pm till 5am. Dawn saw the breeze return and 22 boats finished within a few hours.
Race reports
In recent years navigators of the overall winner have been invited to write a report on their race, including detail on the weather they experienced. 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.