2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race entries locked in
Entries close with 92 boats contesting the 74th running of the classic 682nm offshore trialA total of 92 boats will fight for handicap honours in the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, organisers behind the event have announced.
The group behind the event, the Sydney-based Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, has confirmed five 100-foot super maxis had entered the 74th running of the 682 nautical mile race, including record-holder Comanche, owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, and and the Oatley family’s Wild Oats XI, the boat that holds a record eight line honours titles including two trebles of line honours, and an overall win.
Joining them will be Christian Beck’s InfoTrack, a boat that broke the race record in 2016 as Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal, Peter Harburg’s Black Jack (which took line honours in 2009 as Alfa Romeo when owned by Neville Crichton), and Seng Huang Lee’s Scallywag (which now calls Hong Kong its home port).
The entries are only slightly down on last year's event.
All will be aiming to topple Comanche’s cracking record-setting pace of 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes 24 seconds, set in 2017 and snatched from Wild Oats XI after a protest relating to a near miss between the two boats just outside of Sydney Heads.
Also entered are last year’s line honours winner, Ichi Ban, and classic boats including the S&S 39 Mark Twain (the first boat to race in 25 Sydney Hobarts in 2002); the 78ft Drumfire; and the oldest boat in the fleet, built in 1964, the Kialoa II (which took line honours in 1971).
The smallest boat entered, Gun Runner, is only 9.2 metres long. There are 13 international entries all up.
“I am delighted at the size and quality of the fleet,”CYCA Commodore Paul Billingham said. “Talking to several owners, it’s clear that a number are seeing this year’s race as part of a two-year campaign taking us into the 75th anniversary race in 2019.
"We expect five super maxis, but it’s when you look at the full list of entries that there is a real feeling of depth and quality,” Billingham said.
“A number of yachts new to the race will make appearances. Among them, I’m keen to see how Sean Langman goes with the RP65 Naval Group he is skippering in collaboration with the French-owned defence business, Naval Group.”
The Boxing Day start of the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be broadcast live on the Seven Network via 7Mate.
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