Under blue skies and building northeasterly winds, the 79th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race made its traditional Boxing Day start from Sydney Harbour earlier today.
The 2024 fleet is made up of 104 entrants including four 100-footers, six former race winners, 23 double handed crews and six overseas yachts. A fast first 24 hours in challenging conditions is forecast testing skill, teamwork and resilience.
Rolex has partnered this epic race and its organizers the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) since 2002. The 628-nautical mile race course includes a number of distinct legs in open water such as the infamous passage across the easternmost edge of the exposed Bass Strait.
Following the final leg through Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, lies the finish line in the Tasmanian state capital of Hobart.
