Rolex Sydney Hobart, set off! The super classic with weather uncertainty

Cold weather, snow, a Christmas tree, and a Nativity scene is hardly a situation that makes us dream of long offshore sailings. So let’s close our eyes, fly to the southern hemisphere because today is Dec. 26 and for international sailing it means only one thing: it’s time for Rolex Sydney Hobart, the most iconic of offshore races.

With his 638 miles from Sydney to Hobart is regarded as one of the toughest and most technical trials on the international high seas, the 2023 edition has just started with 113 boats, but the weather this morning in Sydney seemed anything but summery: drizzle, fog and light wind, an appetizer for a pertubation that will hit the fleet at Bass Strait.

Sydney Hobart – Who goes after the line of honor

Last year it was the maxi 100 Comanche that won the Sydney Hobart in real time; the monohull is also the record holder of the race, set in 2017, with a time of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds. This year it will have to contend, as always, with a large group of maxis, including Law Connect, SHK Scallywag and Wild Thing 100. All boats that on paper can try to win the regatta in real time.

Beware though, the challenge in real time is fascinating but let’s not forget that the Rolex Sydney Hobart is a race that is won in compensated time IRC overall. In recent years the regatta has been a stomping ground for Tp 52s, in 2022 it was Celestial that lifted the overall winner’s trophy of the regatta, the coveted Tattersall Cup. It is therefore no coincidence that there are as many as 9 Tp 52s registered for this edition, all or most of them with podium ambitions.

In these post-departure hours, the big uncertainty remains the weather, with a not-too-substantial southerly wind that could vary in direction and intensity, with a real risk of thunderstorms and squalls. And then looming over everyone is the pertubation that seems to be forming further south in Bass Strait, which will make conditions very tough with a challenging upwind.

Tracking