Onwards to Hobart

The 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Highlights the Holiday Weekend

85 boats hit the line on Boxing Day for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. A spectator fleet of thousands lined Sydney Harbour for the 74th edition of this 628-mile offshore classic. The “Big Five” in the supermaxi class weaved in an out of wind patches en route to the first turning mark. Black Jack led the fleet out of the heads with Info Track, Wild Oats XI, Scallywag and the Carkeek 60 Winning Appliances were the first of five to exit the harbor and points their bows south, down the boars to Hobart.

The remainder of the fleet was left to fight their way through a wind vacuum and spectator chop; not ideal conditions for the small boats. Weather forecasts are calling for building breeze and potently up to 30 knots overnight. As history has proven, the Sydney Hobart is not an easy race and we’ll be tracking the fleet’s progress and watching the race leaderboard like all the North Sails fans.

“It’s not going to be that easy. We’ve got some fantastic North Sails this year, they have done a great job with our downwind wardrobe. The boat is going faster than it has ever gone before in downwind conditions. So obviously the forecast is good for us in that regard, but we just can’t wait to get out there and go yachting.” Mark Richards, Wild Oats XI

“Reaching struts are now really a standard feature in these boats and all the boats have changed their sail configurations to suit that. There is a sail that you can buy now from North Sails called a J- Zero, it’s a short foot masthead zero that goes on the reaching strut, and it is born out of the Volvo and triple heading. And the concept is that your build up your area with tall skinny sails rather than big long footed sails” Mark Bradford, Black Jack