The 73rd Annual Edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Renowned around the world, the Rolex Sydney Hobart is one the top three leading ocean races.
This 628-nautical mile offshore race organized by the cruising yacht club of Australia provides a tough test for skippers, tacticians and crews alike. A yachting classic, the race draws a well-seasoned international fleet ready to test itself against the challenging conditions.
The 73rd annual edition of this time-honored event was memorable for its record-setting pace culminating in a new record. In a masterful performance by Matt Allen and the crew of the 52-foot Ichi Ban, victory was theirs in the astonishingly quick pace of one day, 19 hours, beating the closest rival by 30 minutes on corrected time.
For Allen, this victory is the culmination of many things: “This has been a lifetime effort. I first saw the race in 1976 and have been down here almost every year since. It is incredibly satisfying to come up with the plan, to put it all together and for it to come off. It reminds me of my first experience of winning with Lou Abrahams in 1983; to do so now as skipper is an incredible feeling. It’s every sailor’s dream to win this race.”
