2024 Race Recap
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Overall Winner Celestial V70 at the finish. Image: CYCA | Salty Dingo
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024
The 79th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race lived up to its reputation as being one of the most challenging races around the world. A total of 104 yachts crossed the start line on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day and were greeted by a building 20 knot nor’easterly breeze that promised a fast first leg down the New South Wales coast. As the fleet settled into the rhythm of offshore racing, the conditions started to build.
Through the first night, a strong northerly front swept along Australia’s east coast as retirements flowed in. With winds gusting up to 40 knots and a confused sea states, several yachts reported damage including torn sails and broken equipment that forced multiple retirements.
While the bigger yachts in the fleet were greeted by a strong westerly that ripped through Bass Strait the rest of the fleet had to deal with a strong southerly instead. By the time the fleet reached the notorious River Derwent, 25 boats had withdrawn, and the final stretch became a test of patience as the wind faded into the usual Hobart doldrums.
While the race had its share of tactical battles and moments of glory, it was overshadowed by tragedy. Two separate incidents resulted in the loss of two sailors. In response, tributes poured in from the sailing community, demonstrating the tight-knit nature of our community.
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 such as the Admiral's Cup). The 2024 Edition is here.
2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart - Race Documents
Case 1 and Case 2 - Request for Redress - Race Committee for Wings and Poulpito
Race Briefing and Weather Briefing
There is a compulsory race briefing 2 days before the race and a compulsory weather briefing on the morning of the start. Watch them here:
Weather
The 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart weather forecasts were reported as ‘fresh to frightening’ by the media in the week prior and race conditions essentially lived up to these expectations. In contrast to recent years, the various weather models were well aligned and the forecast changed very little in the days leading up to Boxing Day. Each model pointed to a strong Northerly start and a front crossing the race course on Day 2. During the race the models remained stable and premade plans were able to be followed without too much deviation, allowing time to focus on the details.
For the larger yachts in the race, a key detail to watch was the timing of the front which was predicted to hit in Bass Strait. The relative position of the boats impacted the new wind direction they would see after the change, with the boats further south gaining the advantage of more westerly winds. Another key detail was the lee trough of the NE coast of Tasmania.
Position Reports and Weather Updates
The links below are to the positions reported by boats at skeds during the race to assist boats to verify that their report was received. If no report was received the entry is left blank. Note that the positions are as reported and do not reflect other position information known about the boat. There are also links to the most recent relevant Bureau of Meteorology forecasts for the race area.
30 December
0635 hours Position Reports 0635 hours BoM Forecast
29 December
0635 hours Position Reports 0635 hours BoM Forecast
1835 hours Position Reports 1835 hours BoM Forecast
28 December
0635 hours Position Reports 0635 hours BoM Forecast
1835 hours Position Reports 1835 hours BoM Forecast
27 December
0635 hours Position Reports 0635 hours BoM Forecast
1835 hours Position Reports 1835 hours BoM Forecast
26 December
1835 hours Position Reports 1835 hours BoM Forecast
Race Reports
In recent years the navigator of the overall winner has 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 picture galleries, reports and articles on the race. Read on to access them.
Autumn 2025 Offshore - see pages 10 to 33
Race Report - Alex Nolan, Navigator, Overall Winner Celestial V70