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Australia Wins SailGP, the Formula 1 of Yacht Racing, in Dramatic Fashion

Boat collisions, brutal winds and a whale wandering into the racecourse. in the end, the aussies won sailgp glory and the $1 million prize., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories, new zealand’s thrilling win gets the america’s cup off to a rip-roaring start.

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SailGP, the extreme Formula One version of yacht racing, ended its second season yesterday, with the Australian team claiming the championship over teams from Japan and the USA. The final weekend of the series involved multiple collisions, challenging winds and even a whale on the racecourse that forced a restart to the championship final race.

SailGP uses 50-foot foiling F50 raceboats that can reach speeds of 61 mph. Add in the boats’ pinpoint turning abilities, athleticism of the five racers who have to leap across the boat at 55-plus mph, white-knuckle race maneuvers and crashes, and the sport has attracted gatherings of thousands of spectators during its 10-race series around the world.

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The SailGP series was set up as an alternative to the much slower sport of monohull racing, modeled after other professional franchise sports like the NFL and MLB with dedicated teams from different countries.

In the winner-take-all season finale, the Aussies emerged victorious over teams from Japan and the USA.  Courtesy SailGP

Despite the teams accruing points all season, last weekend’s series was a winner-take-all event.

After two days of racing, Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP was victorious. The lead up to the final race was defined by two dramatic collisions: Rookie Spanish driver Jordi Xammar crashed into the stern of the US team’s catamaran and tore a hole in it. That forced the US team to attempt frantic, on-water repairs before the Grand Final. In another race, the teams from France and New Zealand also collided.

“They can sail four times faster than the wind,” America’s Cup guru and SailGP founder Russell Coutts told Robb Report recently . “There’s an element of danger we’re not trying to disguise.”

The team from Spain crashed into the stern of the US team during the first day’s racing, prompting the Americans to perform a frantic, on-water repair for the finals.  Courtesy SailGP

In the final race, the US team took an early lead, but the race was abandoned after a whale was sighted on the course. In the restart, Australia took the lead and dominated throughout. The team claimed a $1 million prize for the season. “More important than the money is that Australia came out on top and we can call ourselves the best in the world,” said Slingsby after the race. “Money comes and goes and glory lasts forever, I know that’s a saying, but we really feel it right now.”

Jimmy Spithill, leader of the US team, was disappointed but gracious. “At the end of the day you really have to credit the Aussies. They have been the benchmark team all season and to come back and do it back to back. It’s very impressive, they deserve the win,” he said in the post-event press conference.

Part of SailGP’s mission is to promote ocean protection—hence, restarting the race when the whale appeared—and sustainability. An important, secondary contest that took place during the season was the Impact League, which measured sustainability efforts by each team, from the carbon footprint of their boats, to how they travel to events, to measuring use of plastic.

The US team had the lead in the final race, but a whale swam into the racecourse, forcing a restart. In the second version, the Australian team dominated.  Courtesy SailGP

New Zealand’s team claimed the Impact League title, handing over the $100,000 prize to the Live Ocean foundation. Great Britain and Australia won $35,000 and $15,000 respectively for second and third place, and donated the money to their Race to the Future partners.

Season three of SailGP will begin in Bermuda on May 14 and 15. Ten teams, including newcomers Switzerland and Canada, will take part in the third season. Events in Chicago, Plymouth, Copenhagen, Saint-Tropez, Cádiz-Andalucía, Dubai, Christchurch have been scheduled, with the final happening again in San Francisco.

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It’s one of the world’s fast-growing sports. But you’ll need $35m to buy in — SailGP explained

There’s no sport quite like Sail GP. It’s been called F1 on water, which is a fair assessment – especially since four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel is a backer of the German team that debuted this season.

Germany is one of ten nations competing in Season Four of the competition, where identical, hi-tech F50 catamarans race at dizzying speeds up to 100km/h.

This weekend, the competition will take to Sydney Harbour for the Australian Sail Grand Prix, the eighth stop of the 13-round season which takes place in glamorous locations around the world.

Here’s everything you need to know about the sport – and why this weekend is a must-watch.

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WHAT IS SAIL GP?

Sailing has a long history of competition – from the Olympics to the America’s Cup, the oldest ongoing international sporting contest. But the America’s Cup only takes place every three or four years, and the main event happens between just two competing yachts.

Sail GP (which stands for Grand Prix) was founded as an annual competition for teams – representing nations – to compete with the same machinery on a regular schedule.

That’s a key difference that sets Sail GP apart. Instead of a technological arms race between rival teams, like motor racing or the America’s Cup, using the same yachts means Sail GP is a test of skill and tactics.

And the yachts themselves are special. The F50 catamarans are based on those used in the America’s Cup in 2017 – the AC50. In another connection with the F1 world, Great Britain’s challenger for the 2017 America’s Cup was built alongside Red Bull Advanced Technologies – headed by Adrian Newey, who led the development of Red Bull’s dominant F1 car.

But the F50 has been developed year on year to become almost unbelievably complex and advanced yachts.

The name F50 is straightforward. 50 stands for 50 feet, the length of the carbon fibre hull. The F stands for foiling, which is when a boat’s hull (or hulls, in the case of a catamaran) is lifted out of the water on hydrofoils, or small wings that poke out of the bottom of the hulls.

Like the wings on a plane, they create lift, and the boats appear to fly or hover in the air with only these small carbon fibre foils under the water.

By lifting the hull out of the water, foiling reduces drag – and allows the yachts to hit staggering speeds. The current SailGP record is 53.96 knots or 99.94 km/h.

Next year, the foils will be replaced by a new model made out of titanium – and they expect speeds up to 110km/h or 59 knots.

If you don’t understand foiling, don’t worry. All you need to know is that these boats (with five crew members each) are hi-tech, extremely complex machines. And really, really fast.

As SailGP CEO Russell Coutts told Time recently: “When you look into the cockpit of one of these boats, it is like looking into an aircraft. You’ve got all the control panels. It looks like a Formula 1 steering wheel.

“You’ve got various control switches on the steering wheel. If there was anything like medium wind and upwards, a club sailor would probably hurt himself.”

Sir Russell Coutts himself was a champion sailor, who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and won the America’s Cup five times among many other successes.

HOW DOES THE COMPETITION WORK?

It started out with six teams (each representing a nation, including Australia), competing across five events. It’s rapidly expanded, with Season 4 – the current season – seeing ten teams compete at 13 events.

In each event, the entire field races six times (called a fleet race). They’re rapid, chaotic races, and they usually last around 12 minutes.

Each team gets points depending on where they finish each race (10 points for first, all the way down to one for last place).

After that, the top three teams based on event points face off in a final.

The winner gets 10 championship points, second gets nine, third gets eight, and the other seven teams get points depending on their ranking in the event.

There’s a $200,000 USD prize for the winner of each event.

At the end of the season, the three teams highest on the championship leaderboard race off in the Grand Final – a single race where the winning team picks up a $2m USD prize.

And here’s the crazy thing: the Australian team, led by skipper Tom Slingsby, have won all three Grand Finals so far. And this year, after seven of 13 rounds, they once again lead the championship in their pursuit of a fourth-straight title.

Slingsby was already a sailing legend before SailGP came around. He won three-straight world championships sailing Laser dinghies. Then he won the 2012 London Olympics gold medal in that category. He was the strategist for USA’s 2013 America’s Cup win, and skippered Perpetual LOYAL to line honours victory in the 2016 Sydney to Hobart race. He’s won multiple world sailor of the year awards too.

He’s just one of many sailing superstars competing in SailGP. It’s the best of the best: world champions, America’s Cup winners, Olympic medallists. Put them in extremely advanced yachts and the result is elite racing.

HOW POPULAR IS IT?

SailGP is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Think pickleball – another niche sport that has exploded into the mainstream.

SailGP started with six teams competing at five events. Now, it’s up to ten teams at 13 events. Next year, there’ll be another two teams added, and the eventual aim is around 20 races – just like F1.

What’s critical is that it’s not just popular among sailing fans. SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts told Time that only around 30 to 40 per cent of fans have any other connection in sailing.

Last November, an investment group led by Marc Lasry, former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, bought the U.S. team for a SailGP record price. The ownership group also includes a host of sporting superstars such as heavyweight boxing world champion Deontay Wilder and a number of NFL stars, as well as Hollywood actors and even a founding Uber engineer.

The cost was claimed to be nearly $80m USD by the Sports Business Journal .

Coutts said: “We started selling teams between $5 million and $10 million [USD]. Now you can’t buy a team without $35 million. We know we’ve got demand for teams. We can’t build boats fast enough.”

And fans are flocking to watch both in person and on broadcast, where global viewership in the first half of this season is up about 24 per cent on last season.

HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?

Well, foiling is inherently difficult. The tiniest mistake – or shift of the wind – and the boat can go crashing back into the water or capsize.

Controlling what is effectively a 2,500kg wind-powered rocket at speeds up to 100km/h – while racing nine opponents around a course with strict boundaries – means crashes are inevitable.

One of the most infamous crashes happened in Sydney in season two, when the British team slammed into the Japanese team at high speeds, causing severe damage – though luckily no-one was injured.

Even when the yachts are just cruising along and not racing, they’re still extremely complex and hard to control. Take Australia’s ‘Flying Roo’, which narrowly avoided capsizing in Italy last year when it was merely parading for a crowd after a day of training.

There’s been no shortage of crashes down the years – and plenty of damage to the yachts that are worth around $4m USD each. Luckily, there have been no deaths.

WHAT WILL SYDNEY BE LIKE?

For one thing, windy. After a series of events this season with light wind conditions – which means slower racing – the forecast is for some of the heaviest wind conditions of the entire season.

Last year, a freak weather event after Saturday’s racing damaged a host of boats and saw Sunday’s racing cancelled entirely.

“It’s a really tricky, challenging venue, which creates a lot of exciting racing, lead changes and opportunity,” said Taylor Canfield, driver of the United States team.

Canada driver Phil Robertson said that light winds – such as last time out in Abu Dhabi – create “Micky Mouse racing: it’s open to anyone, that’s the reality.”

He added: “I’m especially looking forward to Sydney because we have done a lot of light air sailing in the last four or five events and Sydney is going to be a reality check.”

A reality check of just how hard it is to control these boating behemoths in big wind.

But if things get really windy, we could easily see history made this weekend.

As Slingsby told the Financial Review : “Last year I think we got to 95-96 km/h in Sydney, so if we get a good solid sea-breeze or a big southerly front come down the coast, it will be a good shot for us to break that 100 km/h mark.”

That would be a stunning achievement – and the Bureau of Meteorology currently forecast a southerly of 20 to 30 km/h on Saturday.

Just as important for Team Australia is the opportunity to win their first race of the season. Slingsby’s team leads the championship thanks to a lot of podium finishes throughout the season – but they’re still awaiting their first race win of the campaign.

Australia has 56 points after seven rounds (from a maximum of 70, given 10 points goes to the winner each event). New Zealand has 50 and the United States and Denmark have 43 each.

It’s another close campaign, and Sydney is poised to deliver the best event of the season so far.

RACE DAY 1: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Race Times: 16:00-17:30 AEDT

RACE DAY 2: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Watch all the action live and free on Kayo Freebies, or on Foxtel where Fox Sports News (Channel 500) will also show both days in full.

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We were introduced to Jason during the build process of Lady Mariposa at McConaghy yacht's in China. Jason brought a wealth of knowledge and help project manage the build of this Ker 46, he also represented us at the yard in China at a few key stages during the build. During all stages Jason provided the team with very detailed reports on exactly how the build was developing. Once she was delivered to Hamble Jason's support continued through the commissioning of the yacht, and sail design process.Once in the water and sailing Jason coached the team in our first training events, and went on to be race tactician for some key events and the highlight being helping us achieve a class win at Cowes Week 2016. Jason is a great guy to work with and and his friendly and professional manner is a pleasure to have on board.

Captain Dan Hardy - Lady Mariposa

Jason has a long track record of boat performance gains, project delivery and race boat management. From Mumm 30s in the 90s to winning the in Hobart Race on Wild Oats XI – Jason's experience covers many fleets and geographies from sailing waters in Australia, Asia USA and Med. I have sailed in most of these waters with Jason and I can give testimony to his skill and ability to get the results you deserve with a smile.

Martin Hill - Estate Master

Raceyachts was breath of fresh air. I appointed a yacht broker in Perth and one in Sydney to sell our Ker33. I did not get one lead from these 2 brokers in 1 year. I appointed Jason and he sold our Ker33 within [8] weeks of listing. Professional, no nonsense, sensible, results driven outfit. When I sell my next boat, I will call him first.

Hugh Warner - Ocean Ranger

Jason, thank you so much for you great work in selling Voodoo, your experience and professionalism were second to none. I believe that only someone with an intimate knowledge of race yachts can sell them and you surpassed all expectations. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone wanting to sell a race yacht.

Hugh Ellis - Voodoo

I know Jason for many years , this is the first time I used him as a broker and he was fantastic, sold the boat in one week ! Bravo .

Pierre Gal-Mistral

Sydney to Hobart yacht race — how to watch and what to look for

By James Dunlevie

By Chris Rowbottom

Topic: Sailing

Wild Oats XI is back for this year's race. ( Supplied: Wild Oats XI )

Since its beginning in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has become one of the pinnacles for sailing competitors, with the event being a test of skill, teamwork, nautical engineering and tactics — with weather providing the wild card.

If you know what to look for, the race can be an enjoyable experience.

Here are some tips for getting the best out of it.

Things can get a little hectic on the water at the start. ( AAP: Daniel Forster/Rolex )

When does it start?

About 111 boats ranging from the supermaxis (longer than 20 metres) to smaller 30-footers (9 metres) will be ready to go at 1pm AEDT Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour.

The start is arguably one of the greatest spectacles in modern sport.

Once the starting cannon is fired, all teams will be gunning for The Heads and into the open water of the South Pacific, with competitors surrounded by all manner of craft.

Watch as boats come perilously close to the supermaxis.

The fleet then begins to make its way down the east coast of Australia to Hobart, a distance of approximately 630 nautical miles (1,166 kilometres).

The weather always plays a starring role in the Sydney to Hobart. ( Supplied )

What are they racing for?

It isn't money. Yes, you read that correctly — there is no prize money for the winners. 

Instead, they race for trophies in a number of categories , the main events for casual observers being Line Honours and Overall.

The first yacht across the line wins the JH Illingworth Trophy, but the overall winner on handicap wins the Tattersalls Cup.

The overall victory is considered the major prize for sailors and a testament to skill and tactics.

Most of the time, handicap honours are won by a smaller, slower boat, which outdoes its larger opposition when time is adjusted for size and other factors.

The reigning overall winner is Ichi Ban. It finished in 4 days, 10 hours, and 17 minutes.

This was after a protest against Celestial was upheld. Celestial was handed a 40-minute time penalty for not manning their radio for a 90-minute period, during which officials were trying to contact the team.

The reigning line honours winner is Black Jack, winning in two days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes in 2021. 

How can I watch it?

Race sponsor Rolex says the race can be watched on the Seven Network. 

7Mate will broadcast the start of the race live around Australia. Their coverage starts at 12:30pm (AEDT).

ABC TV will also provide updates throughout the event.

For those who can't watch the live broadcast of the start of the race on their TV, Seven will have a stream of the race.

You can also watch vision from the event on the Sydney to Hobart yacht race website .

The start of the 1955 Sydney to Hobart, with Phalarope leading. ( Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia )

If you are in Sydney and on the water, spectators who wish to watch the start but not follow the fleet are advised to stick to the "western side of the harbour".

Good vantage points for spectator boats include "Taylors Bay, Chowder Bay, Obelisk Bay and North Head on the west and Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Camp Cove and South Head to the east".

According to organisers, the harbour will be "very crowded and traffic can be chaotic, so stay alert, follow the advice of race officials and remember to keep well clear of the exclusion zone between 12pm and 2pm".

How can I follow the boats online?

You can follow the race on an online tracker , which shows the positions of yachts as they move south.

The locations of yachts are transmitted by a GPS device on each vessel. 

As the race goes on, you can see the course charted by crews — unless of course the boat's GPS device gets switched off, rendering it invisible to spectators and other competitors — an accusation that was levelled at Wild Oats XI in 2018 by the owner of Black Jack.

You can follow the fortunes of teams with the Sydney to Hobart yacht race tracker. ( rolexsydneyhobart.com )

What should I look out for?

The weather forecast is for northerly winds in the harbour for Monday's start, which will favour the bigger boats. They will push hard to get out of the harbour.

Barring disaster, the Line Honours winner will almost certainly be one of the four super maxis.

LawConnect (formerly Perpetual LOYAL, formerly Investec LOYAL, formerly InfoTrack) set a new record in 2016 when it crossed the line in one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 12 seconds, a time since bettered by Comanche the next year.

Black Jack (Formerly Alfa Romeo II) has a strong Sydney to Hobart history and is the reigning Line Honours champion. It's had a strong 2022 already, taking line, record, and overall wins in the Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race. Black Jack has a strong rivalry with Wild Oats XI as it was the first boat to break Wild Oats' race record in 2009.

Comanche takes the lead over InfoTrack following the start of the Sydney to Hobart race in 2019. ( AAP: Dean Lewins )

Andoo Comanche is the hot favourite for line honours this year. It has already defeated Black Jack in the Sydney to Gold Coast race this year and has won the inaugural Tollgate Islands race. It beat Wild Oats for line honours in 2017, setting a race record in the process, but only after a controversial protest . 

Hamilton Island Wild Oats XI is the most famous boat in the race but has not participated since 2019 due to COVID. Veteran skipper Mark Richards will once again be at the helm and will be hoping to improve on the 3rd place finish in 2019. 

The favourites for the handicap trophy are Alive, URM Group, Moneypenny and Stefan Racing, with last year's winner, Ichi Ban, not participating.

This year there is also a number of crews made up of father-daughter or father-son teams.

Maritimo going hard in 2021. ( Rolex Sydney Hobart )

The yacht race is taken seriously for good reason — people have died when the weather has turned bad.

In 1998, six sailors died, five yachts sank, more than 60 yachts retired and 55 sailors had to be rescued by helicopter.

In 2015, a squall hit the fleet off the News South Wales coast, ending the race for 29 competitors.

Black Jack sails up the River Derwent early on December 29, 2021. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

When does the race finish?

The lines honours winner is likely to come in around 48 hours after the start, but this is very much dependent on the weather —  especially in the 22.2-kilometre final stretch up the Derwent River.

This is when the wind can drop away and it becomes an agonisingly slow crawl , with every trick in the book pulled out to speed the progress up the glassy waterway.

In 2021, Black Jack crossed the line at 1:37am on December 29, followed by LawConnect at 4:11am and SHK Scallywag about 20 minutes after that.

In 2019, Comanche came in at a more reasonable time of 7:30am on December 28, with InfoTrack about 45 minutes later.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race | Entries Open

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is pleased to invite eligible boats to enter 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 79th edition of the historic 628-nautical mile blue water classic will start on Sydney Harbour at 1300 hrs AEDT on Thursday 26 December 2024.

• 01 Aug, 2024 10:21:00 AM

Maritimo Katwinchar – 120 year old yacht back and racing

Maritimo’s Bill Barry-Cotter has once again demonstrated his passion and dedication to all forms of boating.

• 30 Jul, 2024 10:16:00 AM

Winners Announced for the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Twin brothers Louis and Marc Ryckmans' Voltstar Yeah Baby is the Overall Winner of the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy for the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. URM Group has claimed Line Honours.

• 29 Jul, 2024 10:17:00 AM

URM Group claims Line Honours of the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race

• 27 Jul, 2024 10:19:00 AM

Start of the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

A gentle start was delivered to those competing in the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. Fifty-one yachts assembled on the start line before the yachts crawled across Sydney Harbour and north up the Tasman Sea.

• 14 Jun, 2024 02:15:00 PM

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is pleased to invite eligible boats to enter 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A Race for the Ages

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

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Nick Egnot-Johnson, Sam Barnett, Zak Merton & Bradley McLaughlin, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron have been crowned 2022 Open Match Racing World Champions after an epic five days of racing on Sydney Harbour in strong conditions.

USA’s Chris Poole, Joachim Aschenbrenner, Malcolm Parker & Graeme Spence finished in second place with Australia’s Harry Price, Taylor Balogh, Niall Morrow & Josh Wijohn secured third place.

Spectacular conditions and a fresh breeze once again graced the competitors for the final day of the 2022 World Match Racing Tour Final on Sydney Harbour, co-hosted with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA). The final four teams completed the semi-final stage of the regatta in the morning with USA’s Riptide Racing, skippered by Chris Poole despatching Denmark’s Borch Racing with Jeppe Borch as skipper, 3 – 1 to secure the American their place in the final.

In the other semi-final match, Nick Egnot-Johnson, KNOTS Racing team, defeated local Sydney team, DownUnder Racing skippered by Harry Price, 3 – 1 to secure their berth in the Finals.

As the morning rain cleared, a fresh southerly breeze took over the harbour, peaking at 23 knots during the Finals Series. Joining the sailors on the water was a flurry of spectator vessels including the official spectator vessel, the “Royale” Rosman Ferry donated by Noakes Group for the Finals Series. The 60+ guests onboard then witnessed one of the toughest fought Finals series.

Nick Egnot-Johnson’s KNOTS Racing were first to score in the first-to-three-point final. However, Chris Poole’s Riptide Racing, who had only lost one race to date then levelled out the series in the second race.

The Kiwis bounced back in Race 3, showing a dominate display of speed and boat handling. Riptide Racing then came storming back yet again to level the match 2 – 2 and take the Final to a winner-takes-all decider.

After winning the start, KNOTS Racing tore up the initial three legs of the race, with the American team looking out of touch. However the difficult breeze saw Poole gain take an advantage for the final run, with only two boat lengths separating the finalists, metres from the finish. In the end, the Kiwis were able to hold onto their lead, to cross the finish line as World Champions. Sydney Harbour Port Authority were in position to shower the racecourse with a water display and christen the new Open Match Racing World Champions.

“We are just stoked to win, it’s a dream come true for us” commented Egnot-Johnson. “Chris and the Riptide team have been a rival for such a long time so it was awesome to come up against them in the finals, you can’t get any closer than that to finish – Sydney really turned it on for us today, it’s an amazing feeling.”

As teams gathered in the CYCA’s Sydney Village, special guest Vice President of the Australian Olympic Committee Matt Allen AM presented the Bronze medals to the Australian team followed by Vice President of World Sailing Sarah Kenny who presented the Silver medals to the American team. CYCA Commodore Arthur Lane and WMRT Executive Director, James Pleasance completed the podium presentation, with Gold medals and WMRT Trophy respectively for the new Open Match Racing World Champions.

Overall, the event was a huge success for the host Club. Over the five days, 106 races were completed with Sydney serving up an average wind strength of 22 knots over the series.

The event would not be possible without a special thanks to the Presenting Partners – Zenus Bank & PrimeXM as well as our Official Partners – Audi Centre Sydney, Vibe Hotels, Devils Corner Tasmania, Sydney Brewery and Musto Australasia.

• World Match Racing

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MARITIMO RACING DNA

With our heritage steeped in decades of offshore powerboat racing, Maritimo derives, develops and tests world-class technologies that form the heart of every Maritimo that we create and build, enjoyed by owners the world over.

It is our passion for racing that also creates a culture of competition and success in all our daily endeavours, and drives the individuals and teams within our company, and greater network, to perform at their very peak.

Racing is in our DNA, as too our relentless pursuit of perfection in everything that we do. Racing sets the scene for the tempo and momentum of the Maritimo company, the understanding that races are won by the smallest of incremental advancements over the competition. It sets the scene to not only look at the entire big picture but also at the micro level where all of the parts combine and synergise to create the winning outcome.

Maritimo is unique as the only luxury motor yacht builder in the world with a dedicated racing division and world championship race team all in-house, to provide the intelligence to keep us at the leading edge of motor yacht design and construction.

We will continue to break the barriers of innovation, design, ride, comfort and efficiency to ensure that those who do not evolve are left behind in our wake.

At Maritimo we always question the status quo in everything that we do, the boats we build and the endeavours we are involved in. Our company culture is one that is inquisitive, always looking to build on the knowledge base that we have and to always be better, more reliable, faster and more efficient.

PROCESS & PROCEDURE

Racing teaches so much and not just about performance, integrity and longevity, but about all the elements that support these outcomes. Our racing philosophy and successes influence our working environments and production processes; deliver smarter serviceability solutions, and clever problem-solving systems.

PERFORMANCE & HANDLING

Gruelling racing conditions create a knowledge base that is translated into better outcomes for every Maritimo driver. Our focus is always on the driver experience and the interface between the driver and the vessel, getting the most out of power and drive systems whilst delivering maximum comfort at the helm in an environment of control, trust and stability.

HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING

What we learn when we go racing is directly derived into all the boats we build. Our race proven hydraulic steering systems are ultra-responsive, and deliver effortless control, designed to provide more comfortable time at the helm, in all conditions and for covering vast journeys.

INTEGRAL FUEL TANKS

Maritimo’s patented construction methodology with integral fuel tank design has withstood the rigorous testing of offshore powerboat racing. Racing’s incredible high G Forces and relentless wave impact is the ultimate testing ground for our fuel tank integrity. Ultimate confidence underpins the construction of every Maritimo.

WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

Stability and balance are critical factors to deliver comfort when undertaking long range cruising. Maritimo’s placement of the fuel tanks near the engines, and therefore around the centre of buoyancy, maximises stability and minimises changes to the vessel’s handling as the fuel is used. The main tank is at keel level to keep the weight low.

MARITIMO RACING

The spirit of ocean racing competition runs deep within Maritimo. Whether it be sail or powerboat racing, our dedication to pursue the endeavours that ultimately challenge and promote excellence are always close at hand. Our founder’s passion for sailing from his early childhood with his family continues to this day.

The Maritimo sailing race team already has many notable achievements in events like Hamilton Island Race Week, and the world famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The racing passion is also evident even with the lovingly restored Katwinchar, taking out the Grand Veterans Class of the Sydney to Hobart in 2019, the boat the oldest ever to compete and in its 114th year at the time. Maritimo is the only production motor yacht manufacturer globally with a dedicated race team that competes on the international stage of offshore powerboat racing.

Maritimo Racing has beaten the world’s best having been crowned the UIM XCAT World Champions and XCAT Pole Position World Champions, the first team in XCAT history to win both titles and the first non-UAE team to win a World Championship. Other accolades include the UIM World Championship and the APBA World Championship at Key West.

Closer to home we have been a competitive force in Australia with a record 16 Australian Offshore Superboat ‘AUS1’ Championship wins and the UHPBC Hawkesbury Bridge to Bridge Offshore Record.

This intensive racing environment becomes the extreme testing ground for everything that Maritimo does. Data is collected from all aspects and assessed and the ongoing development of the boat is all year round, improving and always refining, power, weight, balance, strength, stability and reliability. The knowledge gained pushing the limits in offshore racing sees advancements in hull design and construction, structural integrity, power, drive line and propeller optimisation injected into every Maritimo we build.

Xcat 2022 Season Preparations

Maritimo R30

The Maritimo designed and built R30 fully resin infused carbon fibre racing powercat is able to compete in Superboat, Superstock or UIM XCAT classes around the world, and has done so successfully being the reigning World Champion in the latter class. It is fully containerised to go anywhere, and changes powerplants from twin Mercury 400Rs, to twin Mercury 300Rs depending on the class.

UIM XCAT World Championship

(Asia, Middle East, Europe)

WEIGHT (with drivers)

2 x Mercury Racing 400 ROS Outboards

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Carbon Fibre / E-Glass

Tom Barry-Cotter

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Maritimo Racing Division

Maritimo R40

The Offshore Superboat Championship is Australia’s premier superboat racing series drawing in fierce competition from local, national and international teams at a calendar of events held across Australia. Maritimo Racing’s contribution and competition within the sport is unparalleled and remains the longest active team competing in the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships. Our racing success has been highly rewarding. We celebrate being the ‘Australian ‘AUS 1’ Champions 16 times in our racing career.

APBA Australian Offshore Superboat Championship

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2 x 510ci/8.3L

Maritimo Racing N/A V8

Carbon Fibre/E-Glass

Michael Peters

MARITIMO 11

Maritimo’s dominion is not limited to their success in powered vessels, as their mark is just as indelible in sail. Maritimo 11 is a highly credentialed yacht having dominated the South East Queensland Offshore Racing series and having received line honours victory in the 2021 Brisbane to Gladstone, and a second place at Hamilton Island Race week 2022. Originally known as ‘Swiftsure 2’ a Schumacher 54-foot sleek racing yacht was discovered in San Francisco. The boat met all of Maritimo’s racing criteria, and was brought across to Maritimo’s Special Projects Division, where it underwent a refit program at our world-class facilities on the Gold Coast, Australia. Maritimo 11 is skippered by the internationally recognised professional yachtsman Michael Spies, a veteran helmsman having competed in 43 Sydney-Hobarts. Along with internationally famous Navigator Murray Spence, a sailing veteran of almost 50 years having been sailing master aboard Alfa Romeo during its global supermaxi dominance, Maritimo 11 hosts a winning formula.

MARITIMO 11 SPECS

Rolex Sydney Hobart

SAIL NUMBER

Southport Yacht Club

Schumacher 54

Carbon Fibre/E-glass

Carl Schumacher

Westerley Marine

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On Some Boats for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Three’s a Crowd

Smaller vessels with two-man crews are competing for the first time. But, thanks to their use of autopilots, they can’t win the top trophy.

By David Schmidt

There’s a beautiful simplicity to two-handed offshore sailboat racing: two sailors, one boat and a lot of blue.

For many offshore sailors, participating in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race aboard a fully crewed boat is a serious undertaking. But the 18 two-handed teams competing in this year’s edition of this 628-nautical-mile race are sharing an entire team’s worth of adventure — and responsibility — with just one other person.

In 2019, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organizes the race, announced a new two-handed division for the 2020 race. The decision was driven by a global surge in the popularity of short-handed sailing and the prospect of a mixed two-person keelboat offshore event at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Paris.

But the 2020 Sydney Hobart race was canceled because of the pandemic, and then the International Olympic Committee did not add the keelboat event to the Paris Games.

Still, the Sydney Hobart’s newest class has become popular and accounts for 19 percent of the 94-boat fleet at the starting line on Sunday.

“I am a big fan of the double-handed sailing concept, and it is great to see the Rolex Sydney to Hobart organizers embracing this side of the sport,” said Stu Bannatyne of New Zealand, an experienced offshore sailor who has won the Volvo Ocean Race four times. “The race for sure has inherent risks as we all well know, and double-handing it just means the crew needs to be very aware of the limitations of themselves and the boat.”

Wendy Tuck, a veteran of 13 Sydney Hobart races, is on a two-handed boat this year.

“I wanted a new adventure,” said Tuck, the only female sailor to have won an around-the-world race as skipper. Tuck is sailing with her co-skipper Campbell Geeves aboard Speedwell , a Beneteau 34.7. “It’s the smallest boat that I’ve gone south on,” she said, referring to Hobart. She added that while she has done a lot of short-handed sailing, she is still new to two-handed racing.

Rob Gough, a veteran of the 2019 race and an accomplished dinghy sailor, said it was the challenge that attracted him to two-handed racing. He and John Saul, a veteran of the 1998 race that killed six sailors and sank five boats, are sailing their Akilaria Class 40, Sidewinder.

“We both like being really involved,” Gough said, adding that with two-handed racing both sailors get to be “skipper, cook, trimmer, tactician, radio operator and navigator.”

Serious offshore sailors often say that races are really won during the boat preparation before the race. Two-handed sailing is no different, except that there are fewer crew members to tackle the details.

Given the race’s tough reputation, organizers require teams to complete qualifications, including first-aid certification, radio-operator training and survival-at-sea instruction. Aboard fully crewed boats, only some of the sailors need to complete this training. In the two-handed division, both skippers must fulfill these requirements, in addition to completing previous (and specific) offshore races and a 24-hour passage together on their boats.

Then there is the task of outfitting a boat to potentially withstand more than 50-knot winds and massive seas.

“The boat has done 30,000-odd miles of two-handed sailing, so it’s all set up,” said Rod Smallman, who is racing aboard Maverick, a Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600, with his co-skipper Leeton Hulley. This is Smallman’s second Sydney Hobart race and Hulley’s seventh. “Once it’s set up, it’s all tinkering and maintenance.”

One decision about two-handed racing equipment has been controversial.

Autopilot systems, which steer a boat to a specified compass course or wind angle, free the crew to trim sails, perform other duties or rest. Unlike fully crewed boats, two-handed teams can use autopilots in this year’s race.

However, the yacht club announced last year that two-handed teams would not qualify for the Tattersall Cup, which is awarded to the race’s overall corrected-time (handicap) winner. The two-handed division is competing for its own trophy.

“We need to better understand the level of advantage that autopilots might provide to yachts of differing types,” Noel Cornish, the club’s commodore, who officiates for the club, said last year. “The status and prestige of the Tattersall Cup in world sailing requires a thorough understanding of all the issues before any new division is granted eligibility.”

Not surprisingly, some two-handed teams were not pleased.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was really disappointed that we’re not racing for the Tattersall,” Tuck said, noting that some crewed boats use powered winches to trim their sails and hydraulic systems to swing their canting keels. “But at the end of the day, I’m really happy we can enter as a two-handed boat.”

Smallman was also disappointed and noted that other international races allowed these teams to compete for the same top-shelf trophy as fully crewed boats.

Unlike human drivers, whose ability to steer a precise course typically wanes after 20 or 30 minutes, autopilots never tire. But Matt Eeles, product director for the autopilot manufacturer B&G, said that when sailing in big waves, autopilots were purely reactionary, not predictive, as they cannot see ahead or behind the yacht. “I think a human would outperform an autopilot in these conditions,” he said.

Some high-budget round-the-world sailing teams have recently developed autopilots that incorporate sophisticated gyro-stabilized compasses, secondary processing computers, custom software and sensor networks, but this is not the technology that Gough, Smallman and Tuck are using.

“It’s a bit rich to suggest that autopilots will give us an advantage to fully crewed boats,” Gough said, explaining that Sidewinder has a B&G autopilot.

Critically, the race crosses Bass Strait , a section of about 160 nautical miles that separates southern Australia and Tasmania. Average water depth is roughly 200 feet. Couple these shallow waters with the generally south-flowing East Australia Current and the strong southerly weather fronts — “busters” in race parlance — that oppose the current, and the seas can, and regularly do, become ferocious.

“If you’ve got the skills to put your boat where the wind is, it’s going to beat having a better autopilot every single day of the week,” Smallman said, adding that he still planned to let the autopilot drive whenever possible. “Boat handling. Seamanship. There’s just a list as long as your arm that’s going to outperform the importance of a pilot.”

Other two-handed skippers, including Tuck and Geeves, also plan to predominantly use their autopilot and focus on sail trim and tactics.

Regardless, sleep deprivation is a concern for two-handed teams in the multiday race.

“We’ll get into our rest cycle two or three hours after the start,” said Gough, explaining that he and Saul would alternate between sailing and resting every two hours.

Smallman and Hulley plan to run a similar schedule, weather depending, with roughly 15-minute crossovers at the below-decks navigation table, looking at their charts, weather forecasts and their tactical racing software. “We sort of tend to play little games,” Smallman said. “We might try to make a mile on the boat in front of us within our shifts.”

Then there is changing sails or reducing the amount of sail area alone or with the other sailor. “Getting the spinnaker down is the toughest part,” Tuck said. While more modern boats have spinnakers that can be furled into snakelike rolls using winches and then lowered in a controlled manner, Speedwell is old-school.

“We have to get the spinnaker down while it’s still set,” she said, describing wrestling with the huge, still-inflated sail. “It’s a big challenge.”

This challenge will be greatly magnified if the weather turns serious.

While the bigger, faster boats can sometimes out sail the worst storms, Tuck expects to see at least two busters en route to Hobart. “Hopefully no more,” she said. “The Hobart can be so rough, and we’re in a tiny little boat.”

Others note that, while the changing climate has recently delivered relatively mild Sydney Hobart races, all bull markets end. “There hasn’t been a rough race for a few years,” Gough said. “We’re well and truly due in for one.”

Should that happen, it will be seamanship, experience and preparation, not autopilots, that will dictate the results. “It’s all in the wind gods and each team’s decisions,” Tuck said. “And that word, luck.”

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When the Australian Measurement System (AMS) was created in 1997, most racing keelboats were being designed to the IMS rule, which was rapidly declining throughout the world and particularly in Australia.

Over the years the fleet changed dramatically and most designs are now optimised to a single figure, time on time correction rating system. Designers have experimented with new designs and have found ways to optimise the designs to fit these systems. This has placed older or less optimised designs at a disadvantage.

The Australian Measurement System was updated in 2012 with the launch of AMS2 and this has been very successful in updating the mathematics to accommodate modern designs. With new technology and innovative designs, it is impossible to remove all of the inequities on a permanent basis, so the system will now be updated on a 4 year cycle in line with the issue of each new Racing Rules of Sailing.

The Sportsboat Measurement System (SMS) was introduced in 2008 and during the years has grown substantially. It is now being adopted in a number of other countries and includes many different classes that fit the definitions of a sportsboat. In the same way that AMS2 was updated, SMS has been updated during 2012.

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25 Aug 2024

• World Rowing Under 19 Champions crowned in St Catharines
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On the last day of racing in St Catharines, Canada, new World Champions were crowned across the fourteen Under 19 boat classes. A full house in the Craig Swayze Memorial Grandstand was once again treated to a spectacular set of finals as medals were won by thirteen different nations.

U19 women’s coxed four (JW4+) – Final

USA are the reigning champions in this one but they had only come second in the preliminary race, behind Italy. While South Africa got the early advantage, Italy soon moved into the lead, and they were holding that position at 500m, marginally ahead of France. In the second half of the race, the USA were starting to get into their rhythm but Italy was looking really dominant. Italy had a lead of over eight seconds over France with 500m to go with the USA still in third, and Australia hot on their heels. Absolutely nobody could catch them, but three crews were now racing for the remaining two medals. France held on to silver and the USA managed to hold off the charge from the Australians.

Result: ITA, FRA, USA, AUS, CAN, RSA

U19 men’s coxed four (JM4+) – Final

Result: AUS, USA, ITA , RSA, IRL, CAN

U19 women’s coxless pair (JW2-) – Final A

Romania were the reigning U19 champions in this boat class with Gabriela Tivodariu returning and looking to defend her title. It was indeed Romania that got the early lead and were holding that position at 500m, over a second ahead of the AIN crew with Greece sitting in third. Romania had opened up more of a lead by halfway and Greece had moved into second place. Dimitra Papaioannou had won silver last year. Into third quarter, the AIN boat was starting to come under pressure from the German boat – could they move into the medal zone? 500m left to go and Romania was looking pretty comfortable for gold with a significant clear water advantage over Greece and Germany had moved into bronze medal position. Nobody could catch Romania, they were set to defend their title. Meanwhile, Greece held on to silver and the AIN crew had regained the bronze medal back from Germany.

Result: ROU, GRE, AIN, GER, ITA, GBR

U19 men’s coxless pair (JM2-) – Final A

The German pair of Lars Trampert and Maximilian Brill were the first to make a showing in this one and had a comfortable lead at the first timing marker ahead of Romania and Italy. Although Germany held on to the lead at halfway, the other positions had changed – Great Britain had moved into second place, pushing Romania into third. The British and Romanians had swapped places again with 500m to go, but they were so close. Germany were continuing to control the race from the front. As the crews came inside the final 250m, the noise within the grandstand was really increasing, and the field was really closing up. Romania were now putting Germany under pressure for the first time – Germany were really having to respond. Spain were coming too and perhaps overhauling Great Britain. Romania had done it! They crossed the line a tenth of a second ahead of Germany while Spain had stolen the bronze from Great Britain. What a race.

Result: ROU, GER, ESP, GBR, GRE, ITA

U19 women’s four (JW4-) – Final A

Result: ROU, GBR, CZE, FRA, GER, NZL

U19 men’s four (JM4-) – Final A

Romania were defending champions, but surely it couldn’t be a fourth consecutive gold today? Italy had their bowball ahead but that was about all it was, ahead of Great Britain and of course, Romania were well int he mix too! Italy got to 500m first, 0.32 seconds ahead of Romania and 0.77  ahead of Great Britain. This was going to be close! Italy continued to lead, but Great Britain had moved ahead of Romania by halfway, but it was still so close. Into the third quarter, Italy had a clear water advantage over Great Britain with Romania struggling to hold onto bronze medal position after China were putting the pressure on. China had taken third place with 500m to go. Into the final sprint and the wall of noise from the grandstand. Italy was lifting the rate, the boat speed was coming up, nobody could catch them. It was gold for Italy, another silver for Great Britain and China had secured a bronze.

Result: ITA, GBR, CHN , ROU, CZE, GER

U19 women’s quadruple sculls (JW4x) – Final A

Result: ITA, GBR, GER, POL, CZE, AUS

U19 men’s quadruple sculls (JM4x) – Final A

Could this race be as close as the last one? The crowd hadn’t caught their breath! Germany were quick off the blocks though and established an early lead which they held over Italy??? with Czechia in third. The positions were unchanged at halfway, but maybe the Irish would cause an upset? Last quarter of the race, Germany was continuing to lead. It looked like the gold was set, but Italy was sprinting all the way, Germany had to respond hard. Italy held on to take gold, silver for Germany and the Czech crew celebrated the bronze before they had even crossed the line – their medal was that secure!

Result: GER, ITA, CZE,  IRL, NED, POL

U19 women’s double sculls (JW2x) – Final A

There was very little to separate Great Britain and Greece in the initial stages of the race. But the British, as reigning champions had established a lead of a length by 500m with Spain sitting in third place. The GB crew was looking really impressive through the second quarter of the race, opening up clear water at the front of the field. Greece still sat in second at halfway while Romania was only just holding on to bronze medal position ahead of Germany. In top the last quarter, GB were looking set for gold, but we knew Romania had a big sprint in them. What had happened to the British? Disaster for them, Greece had come through and the British were hanging on. They just managed to hold on to take silver, it was a massive upset for them, but a great result for Greece. In the sprint to the line, Spain had taken the bronze from Romania.

Result: GRE, GBR, ESP , ROU, GER, ITA

U19 men’s double sculls (JM2x) – Final A

Result: GRE, GER, AUS , AIN, FRA, AIN, ITA

U19 women’s eight (JW8+) – Final

There was so much support in the grandstand for this one All crews got away cleanly with the USA, who had dominated the preliminary race, getting the early lead. GB were defending champions though, was there anything they could do? The American eight was looking really strong opening up clear water by halfway, GB were holding silver medal position, but only just ahead of  Italy. The chants of “USA” were getting louder and louder in the stands – surely nobody could catch their crew. They were looking pretty dominant. Great Britain were still in silver medal position and Italy behind them. The medals were almost looking set coming into the final 500m. The noise was increasing. It was a dominating performance from the USA, they were uncatchable. Italy were sprinting, but they just couldn’t catch Great Britain.

Result: USA, GBR, ITA, AUT, GER, CAN

U19 men’s single sculls (JM1x) – Final A

The AIN athlete, Maksim Hrybouski was fast out of the blocks but, to the delight of his supporters, Australia’s William Rogers was hot on his heels. However, by halfway, Rogers had started to drop back. While the AIN sculler was still leading, it was now Germany’s Ole Hohensee in second and Greece’s Panagiotis Makrygiannis sat in bronze medal position. In the final quarter, it was all change! Makrygiannis had an incredible sprint and he went from third through to the front of the field. Hrybouski just couldn’t respond, he had lost the gold. Hohensee took the bronze. 

Result: GRE, AIN, GER, SUI, CAN, AUS

U19 women’s single sculls (JW1x) – Final A

Result: ROU, RSA, GER , AUT, BRA, CHN

U19 men’s eight (JM8+) – Final

The 260th and last race of the 2024 World Rowing Senior, U23 and U19 Championships got off to a flying start. Great Britain, as defending champions, worked their way into a small lead in the early stages – rating 42, the fastest across the six crews. This British crew was looking very strong establishing a three second lead already by 500m. Halfway and GB just about clear water over the USA with Germany sitting in bronze medal position. Into the third quarter, the British had got clear water. Nobody could catch them! The U19s had matched the performance of their U23s earlier in the week to take gold.

Result: GBR, USA, GER , NZL, FRA, CAN

Six senior World Championship titles awarded

Eyes on the prize for france’s para-rowers, related news.