JOURNEY

The eyes of the sailing world will be fixated on Sydney Harbour for the start of the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

spectator boats lining the exclusion zone. In hindsight, it was a remarkable effort from all involved to ensure a fleet of 88 started in 2021. For the first time in a few years, many yachties reflected on a “traditional” Rolex Sydney Hobart, one which posed the questions that make this race so revered and the ocean so respected. signed up.

Only five times this century have there been more than 100 starters for the race.

An international fleet

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart features as many international boats – eight – as the 75th anniversary race in 2019.

They will travel from Germany (Orione), Great Britain (Sunrise), Hong Kong (Antipodes), Hungary

(Cassiopeia 68), New Caledonia (Eye Candy and Poulpito), New Zealand (Caro) and the USA (Warrior Won)

Of the past 76 races, 13 have been won Overall by international boats, while 27 have been won on Line Honours by foreign entries.

Caro, Sunrise and Warrior Won are fancied to get their hands on the Tattersall Cup. Read more about their stories on page 24.

What to look out for

At the front end of the fleet, two returning legends of the Rolex Sydney Hobart are capturing much of the pre-race attention.

Wild Oats XI returns, rebranded as Hamilton Island Wild Oats, looking to add to an already incredible legacy.

The Oatley Family’s Reichel/Pugh 100 holds the record for most Line Honours wins (nine), most consecutive Line Honours wins (four) and has twice claimed the treble of Line Honours, Overall win and race record. Mark Richards, skipper for all of those victories, is back at the helm.

Another 100-foot maxi, Andoo Comanche, also returns for the first time since 2019. Skipper John Winning Jr has chartered the current race record holder, which has won Line Honours three times for previous owners.

In favourable conditions, Andoo Comanche will be the boat to beat, but the form guide suggests she may be favourite regardless of the forecast.

The defending Line Honours winner, Black Jack, has reached peak performance over the last year according to skipper Mark Bradford. Owner Peter Harburg will race this year after sacrificing his place in 2021 to reduce weight on board, though he admittedly got less sleep than if he had been racing, as he nervously followed the tracker.

Then there is Christian Beck’s Juan-K 100 LawConnect, which has been second over the line in the last two races. Will she go one better?

Expect a tight tussle on the water and on handicap between the mini-maxis, which have been prominent atop the standings in the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore so far.

Sean Langman’s Reichel/Pugh 69 Moneypenny and Anthony Johnston’s Reichel/Pugh 72 URM Group have Overall wins and multiple podiums to their names in the Pointscore, while David Griffith’s JV62 Whisper – fifth Overall in 2021 – again looks to be a serious contender, and Jim Cooney returns with his Volvo 70 Willow, which was forced to withdraw on Christmas Day last year.

The group of 52-foot grand-prix yachts continues to strengthen, with the likes of Caro and Warrior Won added to a stacked list of entrants.

Matt Allen’s Botin 52 Ichi Ban dominated the Overall battle in recent years, winning three of the last four Rolex Sydney Hobarts.

Allen lifted the Tattersall Cup for a record-equalling third time as Ichi Ban joined Freya and Love & War as the only three-time Overall winners. “I’m in amazing company,” Allen reflected on the historic achievement.

Sam Haynes’ TP52 Celestial – second overall in 2021 after receiving a time penalty – Gordon Ketelbey’s Zen, Matt Donald and Chris Townsend’s Gweilo, Craig Neil’s Quest and Seb Bohm’s Smuggler are among the 52s to watch and there are a few familiar boats with new owners and new names, in Crush (David Davenport) and Maritimo (Bill Barry-Cotter).

The smaller and older boats proved immensely competitive in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart and were within reach of Overall honours until the breeze shifted to ruin any chance of an upset.

Simon Kurts’ S&S 47 Love & War – not racing this time around – and Shane Kearns’ S&S 34 White Bay 6 Azzurro finished third and fourth on handicap, while Ed Psaltis’ Sydney 36 Midnight Rambler finished inside the top 10.

An exciting crop of 30-50 foot fully-crewed challengers also features Enterprise Next Generation, Mayfair and Sail Exchange

The divisional battles are wide open and there will be some fascinating one-design racing, with five Sydney 38s (Cinquante, Eye Candy, Hasta la Vista, Mondo and Poulpito) and five Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300s (Hip-Nautic, Kraken 111, Sun Fast Racing, Transcendence Crento and Tumbleweed) entered.

There are six boats under 10 metres in length, including the smallest boat in the fleet Maluka –Sean Langman’s 9-metre Ranger, skippered by his son Peter – Currawong, Gun Runner, Blue Planet, Rum Rebellion and Speedwell.

Meanwhile, the Armed Services rivalry resumes between Navy One and Gun Runner, with the Royal Australian Navy boat out to retain the Oggin Cup and plaque.

Two-handers eligible for Overall honours

Following the successful introduction of twohanded crews to the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, a new record number of two-handed boats will be seeking a slice of history.

22 two-handers entered the race and most will be in contention to win the Tattersall Cup for the first time.

The first ever two-handed competitors across the line in the Rolex Sydney Hobart – Rob Gough and John Saul – return on a different boat, the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 Kraken 111, having sailed Sidewinder to victory last year.

Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham will be the first all-female two-handed crew in the race, on Kathy’s Currawong 30 Currawong.

Crux (Carlos Aydos and Peter Grayson) and Speedwell (Campbell Geeves and Wendy Tuck) finished second and third respectively in the inaugural Two-Handed Division, behind Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth (Jules Hall and Jan Scholten), and are among five two-handed boats returning. Read more about the competitive TwoHanded Division on page 29.

Around 1,200 sailors will take on the famous 628 nautical mile journey south – some for the first time, others reaching a significant milestone.

With such a diverse fleet and so many different goals to be achieved, another incredible chapter is set to be added to the much-celebrated tale of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.