The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is renowned as one of the sport’s greatest challenges. In the 79th edition, competing crews were confronted with myriad challenges and variable weather conditions.
A race marked by tragedy united the sailing community and was a showcase of human endeavour and teamwork. Celestial V70 claimed the Tattersall Cup as overall race winner while the Christian Beck-skippered maxi LawConnect took line honours for the second year in a row, completing the 628-nautical mile course down Australia’s south-east coast in 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds.
Organized by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Rolex has partnered this offshore classic since 2002 as part of the brand’s near 70-year relationship with yachting.
Below is a map that shows the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race route.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is renowned for being one of the toughest tests of sailing ability and an icon of the sport since its inauguration in 1945. The 2022 edition of the so-called Great Race South featured a fleet of 109 yachts, comprising professionals and Corinthians, and some 20 double-handed (two-person) crews that set off under blue skies and bright sunshine from Sydney Harbour on 26 December. Sam Haynes, owner of the 52-foot (15.85 metre) Celestial, received the Tattersall Cup, the most coveted prize awarded for overall victory on corrected time, while John Winning Jr’s Andoo Comanche took line honours, completing the 628-nautical mile course in one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds – two hours outside the race record established in 2017. Rolex has supported this offshore classic, organized by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) with its partner the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, for 20 years as part of the brand’s wide-ranging support for yachting dating back almost 70 years.
Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Yacht Club Italiano, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.
Below is a map that shows the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race route.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an icon of its sport. First held in 1945 and partnered by Rolex since 2002, the 628-nautical mile (1,163 kilometre) offshore race is revered as one of sailing’s most gruelling challenges. This year marks the 77th edition of the event organized by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with the support of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. An impressive international fleet has registered for the race which commences, as is tradition, on 26 December from Sydney Harbour. Their ultimate destination is Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania. The journey south takes competitors on a compelling racecourse, comprising a long passage down the New South Wales coast and then across the easternmost edge of the exposed and infamous Bass Strait. While some of the world’s fastest and most powerful yachts will contest line honours the most treasured prize is the Tattersall Cup awarded to the overall race winner.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race holds a towering status in the world of sailing. First staged in 1945, it captures the attention of a nation with its spectacular Boxing Day start. The 2021 edition, featuring an 88-boat fleet, was a race of two markedly different halves; the first, a punishing test of physical endurance and perseverance, the latter, a heightened examination of mental resilience and tactical judgement. Matt Allen’s 52-foot (15.85 metre) Ichi Ban secured the overall win on time correction, completing the 628-nautical mile (1,163 km) course in 4 days, 10 hours, 17 minutes and 39 seconds. In so doing, the Australians became only the third crew to achieve three victories. Organized by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Rolex has partnered this race since 2002 as part of its wide-ranging support for yachting dating back more than 60 years.
Historically Rolex has always been extremely secretive and discreet, and no journalists in the past have ever been invited "INSIDE ROLEX" to explore and report on all four Rolex Manufacturing faclities in Switzerland.
In November 2013, this changed when Rolex invited Jake to take an unprecdented journey into the heart of Rolex to learn and report on everything he witnessed and learned.
This Super-Detailed 3 Part Story is a "MUST READ" story for anybody who wants to understand what really makes Rolex tick.
