Sydney to Hobart yacht race: Live updates from the 80th edition of the blue water classic

One of the interesting watches on day one of the Sydney to Hobart is having a look at the tracker on the official website, to see where the leaders are in respect of the race record.

If you look at the tracker now, you can see that the leader LawConnect is sailing close to the coast heading for Cronulla. As things stand, they are about 2.5 nautical miles behind the orange blip on the map, which marks the course taken by 2017 race record-breaking LDV Comanche.

Not that we were expecting the record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to go this year. But given that we haven’t been going for two hours yet, the fact LawConnect has dropped off the pace already means we are probably looking at a two-day finish time for line honours.   

When the gun went off at 1pm AEDT, it marked the latest chapter of a boat that has more experience in the blue ocean classic than all but a handful of craft in the race’s long history.

The eight-man crew on She, including skipper Philip Bell and second-in-command Mark O’Dea, will honour the boat as it sets forth for Hobart for the 23rd time – but they will also mark a man who connects them both.

Peter Rodgers, the former owner and skipper of She died a year ago.

This year, the crew will all wear a line on their shirts: “Peter Rodgers Memorial Race”.

You can read more about She’s Sydney to Hobart history, the very different sailing careers of Bell and O’Dea, and some reminiscences about Rodgers and his obsession with one of the landmarks on the race route – in our feature:

Amelia,

I have to say I wasn’t aware of the depth of this rivalry, but I am happy to bring an update of Army vs Navy.

At this point Navy One is travelling at 5.2 knots, 7.1 nautical miles behind the leader LawConnect.

The Army entry, Rising Sun, is going at 6.8 knots, but is 7.6 nautical miles from the lead.

So at this (VERY) early point, it is a slight advantage to Navy for the Oggin Cup.

1: LawConnect — 619.3 nautical miles to go

2: Palm Beach XI — 620.1

3: Master Lock Comanche — 620.5

4: Lucky — 621.3

5: Callisto — 621.4

6: Wild Thing 100 — 621.5

7: Celestial V70 — 621.7

8: SHK Scallywag 100 — 621.9

9: URM Group — 622.0

So Palm Beach XI (the former Wild Oats XI, which holds the record for most line honours wins with nine) has chosen to stay closer to shore, and is making it work for now. The supermaxi is up to second, just ahead of Master Lock Comanche.

Still LawConnect out in front, however.

It’s an interesting battle at the front, with Master Lock Comanche going at 13.5 knots and LawConnect at 13.7 knots.

Further back,  Lucky is out to sea going at 12.3 knots and Palm Beach XI at 12.4, as is Wild Thing 100.

A fair chunk of the fleet are now out of the Heads, but here is a flashback to LawConnect putting it all together and taking advantage of its fast start to lead the fleet through.

We are in the early stages of the race, but even while the contest is in full flight, sailors are taking part in a tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attacks.

Twelve days ago, 16 people (including one of two shooters) were killed in an attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach.

In the days since, Sydney has witnessed many emotional tributes, both official and from members of the public, at sporting events and elsewhere.

The Sydney to Hobart is making its own tribute today.

Fifteen yachts representing the race’s organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – one for every victim who sadly lost their life during the tragedy – will scatter rose petals off the stern of their boats as they pass Bondi.

As we said, the leaders seemed to navigate through the harbour without any problems or near collisions.

However a little further back in the field, we have our first protest flag.

The German entry Alithia is flying a red flag – we’re not sure what it’s for, but maybe there was an issue around one of the turning marks.

The leaders are getting closer to Bondi, and LawConnect is making a first tack, they’re on the starboard and Master Lock Comanche to port.

LawConnect makes it and stays in front, so that’s an advantage to last year’s Line Honours winner.

Back in the fleet, there are a lot of boats going up and down in choppy seas.

We will have to see who can maximise their speed going down the coast going into the wind.

At this early stage of the race, there is 0.6 nautical miles (1,111m) between LawConnect and Master Lock Comanche in the lead and 12th placed Smuggler.

The two lead boats are reasonably close together, line-wise, while Lucky in third place is headed further out to sea.

Stephanie,

Not all the fleet have black sails – there is plenty of white on display on the vision I’m seeing – but there is a reason why a lot of the big contenders use black.

As Crystal McKay and James Dunlevie put it in our race explainer this morning:

“Many teams choose [black] sails that include carbon fibre, designed to increase durability under extreme conditions. It is something that crews face when navigating across Bass Strait, one of the world’s most unpredictable and roughest stretches of water.”

The second part of the fleet are trying to get out of Sydney Harbour, and there is not much wind for them at the minute.

It’s very choppy for them.

Up front, it’s LawConnect and Master Lock Comanche with a bit of space to the following boats.

It’s as you were as the leaders get to the second turning mark.

LawConnect has got the speed so far, and Christian Beck’s supermaxi is first out of the Heads and into open water for the trip south.

Master Lock Comanche is a couple of boat lengths behind, with Lucky in third.

Thank goodness the start has been free of controversy – no one has come close to colliding, and no boat has had to do a penalty turn to avoid a possible time penalty in Hobart.

For those on board LawConnect, the foremost hope would have been that this year would be third time lucky, sail-wise at the start of the race.

The Christian Beck-owned supermaxi has proven very fast at the start in 2023 and 2024, but both times they have had big problems getting their sail up after passing the first turning mark.

Last year in particular the sail would not unfurl properly, allowing Master Lock Comanche to take a big lead.

This year, however, everything seems to be going smoothly for LawConnect, and there haven’t been any furling problems.

LawConnect gets to the mark first, but Master Lock Comanche is very close behind!

That took just under six minutes.

Master Lock Comanche is now trying to go up the inside, but can’t get through.

Lucky is third, Palm Beach XI is fourth, and SHK Scallywag 100 is fifth.

Will they get separated on the open seas, or will we have these five close together all the way to Hobart?

LawConnect is first to the turning mark, with Lucky on the outside and Master Lock Comanche coming through the middle.

This could be a close thing, will we have some issues around the mark?

Here we go, and LawConnect has timed it to perfection and got a brilliant start!

Behind it is Master Lock Comanche, Palm Beach XI, the German boat Alithia, and the 90-footer Lucky.

The gun goes off, and the 80th edition of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is underway!

Scott McAllister OAM, a crew member on the 1975 overall winner, Rampage, fires the starting cannon from the official vessel, The Jackson.

The fleet is off for the 628 nautical miles (1,163km) journey to Hobart.

As the fleet gathers on the northern line on Sydney Harbour, we are minutes away from the start, and one thing is on everyone’s minds — don’t blow it!

Each boat will want to grab the advantage from the earliest moments, but the difference between a perfect start and a nightmare beginning can be tiny.

The golden rule is to time your run so that the boat hits the line as the gun goes off. If you mistime it, and the boat crosses the line too early, it’s a penalty.

Boats who incur the penalty have to go back behind the start and begin again, wasting time and momentum and allowing their opposition to get away.

There can be very small margins involved, and if crews aren’t aware they have transgressed, then they will receive a call from race officials within the first 10 minutes of the race, telling them to go back.

Get ready, folks — it’s nearly start time!