It takes place in the Southern Hemisphere. It's the race of the year that takes place every year at Christmas, and one that every sailor would love to win. The 2023 edition, raced in steady winds, saw an incredible final. The top two boats in real time found themselves battling it out in light winds to finish less than a minute apart at the finish line.
Thunderstorms on departure, light airs on arrival
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race saw a historic finale. In Hobart, on December 28, 2023, LawConnect snatched victory from Andoo Comanche by less than a minute and in the last 100 meters of this long 628-mile regatta. Owner Christian Beck breathed a huge sigh of relief, ending a run of three second-place finishes in this legendary offshore race. His yacht crossed the line in thrilling fashion at 08:03:58 local time in Hobart. The duel that resulted in this small gap is the second closest result in the history of this event, behind the seven-second lead of Condor and Apollo in 1982.
Less than 2 days for 629 miles
While the elapsed time of 1 day 19 hours 03 minutes 58 seconds is around 10 hours shy of the record set by the 2017 finalist boat, the non-stop cat-and-mouse game between the first two 100-footers provided a captivating spectacle. John Winning Jr's Andoo Comanche had held a narrow lead for most of the race and was well ahead by several miles as it rounded Tasman Island. But it all came down to the extremely light airs on the Derwent River, desperately seeking the best possible pressure.
Victory after 3 second places
As a victorious LawConnect reached Kings Pier to the cheers and applause of the assembled crowd, owner Christian Beck was understandably delighted: " Winning the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is a dream come true, especially against Comanche because she's such a good boat. It was an incredibly exciting experience from every point of view. "
As well as acknowledging his constant rival, Beck was keen to congratulate his crew at the dockside awards ceremony: "If you look at what succeeded today, it wasn't the boat or me, but this crew worked for [the boat] to beat Comanche. That's what's amazing!"
While two exhausted crews can now celebrate and rest, the race goes on and the pressure doesn't let up for the remaining participants, and in particular for the boats with a chance of overall victory on corrected time. Those who dream of seeing their name engraved on the legendary Tattersall Cup.
