Entries flood in for Sydney-Hobart Race

Within minutes of entries opening for this year's Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia had received five applications by email and the number looks like climbing into the nineties before the starting gun is fired on Boxing Day.

Nicholas Bartels' newly-acquired Cookson 50 "Terra Firma" from Victoria was the first entry, closely followed by former CYCA Commodore Matt Allen’s Jones 70 "Ichi Ban".

Ichi Ban lost its mast returning from Hobart earlier this year and has spent most of the time since on the hard at Azzura Marine in Newcastle. Allen is waiting for a new mast to arrive from Spain.

CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre says he is encouraged by the number of early entries for the 66th running of the country's premier ocean race. "We are anticipating a strong fleet of 90-100 yachts with the competition tight from well-campaigned yachts such as Stephen Ainsworth's RP63 Loki and Ray Roberts' new STP65 Evolution Racing," Linacre says.

Robert Oatley's 30-metre super maxi Wild Oats XI, which was beaten for line honours last year by Alfa Romeo, is backing up to try and take glory again. It would be the yacht's sixth line honours win.