Sydney Harbour will shine on Boxing Day as tens of thousands gather on shores, boats and down the coast to watch 110 magnificent yachts begin their journey down Australia’s coast as part of the 77th edition of the iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
It’s the one time of the year that Sydneysiders pretend to have a passing interest in the sport – so here’s everything you need to know about how to watch it, bluff your way through Christmas Day conversations about it, and who you should pick to win it.
A crowd gathers as boats sail past the Hornby Lighthouse at South Head during the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race last year.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone
From Sydney… to Hobart
Look, this one’s in the name. Boats travel from our state’s capital past Wollongong, southern NSW and then through the Bass Strait to Hobart.
The quickest route to Tasmania is 628 nautical miles, or 1163 kilometres (that’s like walking down George Street 387 times). But boats will never take that exact route: they need to adjust their route to factor in weather, current and other conditions that make it a challenging sail.
The race begins
The race will kick off at 1pm on Boxing Day, Monday 26th December. But festivities around the Harbour will begin earlier in the day.
Boats are allowed to watch on from various spots in the Harbour – but there is a strict exclusion zone in force from midday until 2.20pm, during which time movement across the Harbour will be limited.
If you’re on a boat and plan to follow the yachts out the heads, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organises the race, suggests being between Vaucluse Bay and Watsons Bay. Otherwise, stick to the northern side of the exclusion zone, including Taylors Bay, Chowder Bay, Obelisk Bay and North Head.
Where to watch from land
But if you’re staying firmly on dry ground, there are plenty of good vantage points around.
- From the north side, head to the Georges Head Lookout, the Mosman Obelisk Battery, or the North Head Lookout.
- From the south side, there are views aplenty from Nielsen Park in Vaucluse, Watsons Bay, or the Hornby Lighthouse.
Depending on the conditions, leaders of the fleet can leave the Harbour relatively quickly. Once they depart the heads, they can be viewed from much of the eastern suburbs beaches heading south.
Where to watch on TV and online
If you’re still feeling the effects of a hearty Christmas lunch, staying home might be your best option. 7Mate (Channel 74) will broadcast the opening of the race from Sydney Harbour from 12.30pm.
The Herald will be live blogging the event with key details and stories from the day, and keep you updated as the boats head south. In a technological first, super maxi LawConnect will live stream their entire journey from onboard GoPro cameras.
Who are the favourites?
There are many ways to judge who wins a sailing race, with various measurements made based on a boat’s width, length, size and more. But the two to look out for are line honours (the boat that arrives in Hobart first) and the overall winner (the boat that, based on a global handicap system, is declared the fair winner of the event).
For line honours, the massive super maxi boats are king. There are four, and all have previously won line honours (and two have broken race records).
But overall winners are up for the Tattersall Cup. The winners of this section depends largely on the weather. With current forecasts suggesting the competition will be a “big boat race”, ss
Some favourites include: Bacardi, the 28-time Hobart racer; URM, the custom-designed Maxi 72; and Stefan Racing, an all-carbon canting yacht.
There’s Warrior Won, a stunning American hopeful; and White Bay Azzuro, which has previously experienced some success but been let down by unfavourable weather conditions.
And if your pick doesn’t win, don’t worry: just arriving in Hobart is achievement enough.
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