Sydney to Hobart yacht race wrap 2023: Winners, drama, history, finish times, results, damage, weather

It was a race of extremes, wild weather cells, terrifying lightning storms, rough unwind sailing, multiple retirements and a cat who stole the show. Sydney to Hobart 2023 race wrap and results

LawConnect and Andoo Comanche battling for the line honours. Picture: Andrea Francolini/AFP/ Rolex.

The 2023 Sydney to Hobart had it all – and more for most of the fleet – with one of the most thrilling finishes in history deciding the line honours race and the fleet subjected to some of the most unexpected and toughest weather ever seen.

The 78th race had 103 starters, including four 100-footers and 19 two handlers but only 85 will have made it to Hobart when the final two tailenders eventually arrive.

The first afternoon of the annual race saw three retirements and by the next morning this had risen to five after a bizarre night at sea experienced by many which included bolts of lightening hitting the water beside them and reports of a water spout.

At race end 18 yachts had pulled the pin with an assortment of sail, boat and rigging damage, sea sickness and crew fatigue.

This large retirement list correlated to the toughness of the conditions which started the first afternoon and evening of the race when the fleet sailed head first into violent thunderstorms off the NSW coast.

LawConnect wins the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race after a close finish with 2nd place Andoo Comanche. Picture: Chris Kidd

Worse was to come for the majority at LawConnect and Andoo Comanche went blow-for-blow in the battle to the finish line with Christian Beck’s LawConnect riding a stray zephyr of breeze across for her 51 second victory in the 628nm race.

With just six yachts into Hobart on December 28, it became a big boat race for the overall honours, secured by the Tasmanian yacht Alive form the NSW boats URM and Moneypenny.

While they celebrated the majority of the fleet battled tough upwind conditions and more wild winds and seas.

Jessica Watson perhaps said it best

“It’s a great adventure. It’s absolutely nonsensical, completely stupid, it’s really, really uncomfortable and it’s really hard yards. I don’t think people realise how hard and painful it is. But that is what makes it so special,” Watson said.

Sailing writer Amanda Lulham picks out the moments that matter and moments of history in the 2023 Sydney to Hobart.

JAN 3: OLI THE MOGGY FINALLY DOCKS IN HOBART

The two-hander Sylph - with Oli the cat aboard - was the 85th and last boat to finish the 2023 Sydney to Hobart to a heroeswelcome while a number of big names have already confirmed they will miss the 2024 race south.

An emotional skipper Bob Williams, crewmate Chris Warren and Oli the cat arrived in Hobart

at 8.26am on January 3 with a new record for the boat - the slowest ever trip in the Australian bluewater classic.

The agonisingly slow journey saw them arrive seven days, 19 hours, 26 minutes and 15 seconds after Sylph started the raceat 1pm on December 26.

Sylph’s previous slowest Sydney to Hobart race set in 1962 when she took seven days, 17 hours, 13 minutes and two seconds.

But there was one good bit of news for the team on the race tailender - they just managed to avoid finishing last in the PHShandicap race.

Sylph’s slow progress saw her finish second last in the PHS handicap division won by Will Vicar’s Oroton Drumfire with DavidHow’s Silver Fern earning the dubious honour of finishing last in this division of the race.

“I think it’s quite amazing the way people have taken to Oli,’’ said Williams, a retired naval officer who had hoped to enjoydockside celebrations in Hobart on New Year’s Eve but still receuved a hearty champagne welcome.

Sylph VI skipper and owner Bob Williams and Oli. Photographer: Adam Yip

“He’s just a part of my crew, where ever I sail.’’

Sylph’s trip was incredibly five days slower than Christian Beck’s LawConnect which pipped Andoo Comanche by 51 seconds inthe closest finish in decades for the line honours back on December 28 at 8.03am.

However it was well outside the record of the slowest ever race set back in 1945 and still owned by Wayfarer who took an extraordinary11 days, six hours and 20 minutes to make it to Hobart.

Andoo Comanche, one of the most winning line honours yachts in the Sydney to Hobart under different owners and names, willnot be returning in the foreseeable future.

The yacht is heading to Singapore and potentially then Europe for campaigning under her owner who leased the supermaxi toJohn Winning Jnr for two seasons.

Also missing will be Scallywag, one of the favourites for the 2023 race, which broke its bowsprit the opening night of the2023 race.

She is heading to Barcelona to begin a new era of European campaigning with events such as the Middle Sea race on her agenda.

Whether the former multiple line honours winner Wild Oats returns to racing is still in the wind.

However both LawConnext and overall winner Alive have confirmed they will be on the start line.

CRAZY CAT WEATHER

Even the best minds in meteorology struggled to nail the forecast in the lead-up to the race.

There was hail, thousands of lightning strikes, violent weather cells with 59 knots of wind inside and also corridors of no wind,

There was also a sting in the tail for late arrivals with Storm Bay living up to its fearsome reputation and The Derwent river its fickleness,

Winners earned their PRIZES in 2023

INCREDIBLE FINISH

Christian Beck’s LawConnect beat defending champion and race favourite by 51 second sin a sensational and thrilling comeback on the eh Derwent River.

In a nerve-racking finish the 100-footers came from behind to glide past John Winning Junior and his team just before the finish line, completing the 628-nautical mile course in one day 19 hours three minutes and 58 seconds.

Andoo Comanche finished in one day, 19 hours, four minutes and 49 seconds.

“I can’t believe that result. It’s a dream come true,’’ said LawConnect skipper Christian Beck who has described his yacht as a “s*** box” compared to Andoo Comanche.

“I never thought it was possible actually.

HISTORY MAKERS 

There were sailors galore writing their names into the history books.

Lindsay May on Antipodes completed his 50th successive race – a record for the Sydney to Hobart.

Vanessa Dudley on Tilting at Windmills became only the third woman in history to do 25 Sydney to Hobarts.

Other history makers were Kingsley Piesse who received a medallion for doing his 40th race. Geoff, Bauchop, Robert Human, Alby Pratt, Brett, Smith and David Watson received medallions for having done 25 races.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Brothers and sister, fathers and daughters, fathers and sons – the 78th race was a real family affair.

John ‘Herman’ Winning Jr, skipper Andoo Comanche, sailed with his sister Jamie and father John and alongside brothers Nathan and Peter Dean also aboard.

There were three father/sons on Advantedge, with father Simon Kurts and son Phillip on Love & War and Grant Wharington racing with son Oli, 27, and daughter Georgia 21, who did her first race.

This year’s Sydney to Hobart has drama from start to finish. Picture: Andrea Francolini/Rolex/AFP

DRAMA QUEEN

This title went to the ill-fated 100-footer Scallywag.

Skippered by David Witt after almost a year long refit and refurb, she was also one of the first yachts out after breaking her bow sprit less than five hours after the race.

The giant bow sprit carries the yachts biggest sails.

UNLUCKIEST CREW

Last year Michael Spies and his Maritimo team damaged their yacht on its delivery form Queensland to Sydney and were unable to race.

This year rigging damage sent them to the sidelines the first night at sea in an unexpected retirement for the veteran campaigner.

Adrienne Cahalan on-board Alive. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

NAVIGATING HISTORY

Adrienne Cahalan was navigator aboard the former overall winner Alive and 2023 handicap champion on her 31st race to Hobart – a record for a woman.

For the first time in history, women navigators were aboard the first and second placed boat in the overall race in a stunning achievement.

Alice Parker was on URM which finished second.

STRANGE BOAT

Grant Wharington spent six months reimagining his 80-footer into a 100-footer for the race.

And with a black and hot pink paint job IT was the most eye catching boat on the start line.

While it failed to keep up with its 100 footer rivals LawConnect and Andoo Comanche it did finish sixth across the line.

CLOSE CALL

There was drama soon after the Boxing Day start when Scallywag tacked near Andoo Comanche and a protest flag was raised on the defending champions backstay.

David Witt then did two 360 turns to exonerate himself from the situation but was adamant he had not infringed the rule.

It was a moot, with Scallywag later retiring with box sprit damage.

YOUNG GUN

The youngest competitor in the race, 18-year-old Matt Hansen has a baptism of fire in the rough and rugged race and only just made it to Hobart for New Year’s Eve.

The teen, on his father's yacht Hansen Tasmania, arrived to a rousing welcome after more than five days and 10 long hours at sea.

Jessica Watson on Azzurro. Picture: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

JESS WATSON RETURNS

Hard upwind sailing at the end and big winds and seas in Storm Bay made the going tough for many of the smaller and slower competitions.

But round the world sailor Jessica Watson had a grin from ear to ear after arriving in a late rush.

Slowed by the conditions, she and her cremates on Azzurro were then gifted a wonderful kite ride down the Derwent to the finish.

“That was a close call,” said Watson of their late afternoon arrival on New Year’s Eve.

She also had the best quote.

“When someone asked if we had broken anything, I just said ‘just six people’’’ said the battered and bruised Watson.

STATS THAT MATTER

In the starting fleet of 103 there were 16 Victorian yachts, 15 from Queensland, one each from WA and SA, 10 internationals and the rest were form NSW.

The international contingent included New Zealand, German, French and US yachts.

There were five previous overall winners in the 2023 event in Alive, Bumblebee V, Celestial Love & War and Wild Oats, the Farr 43, not the 100 footer.

The two smallest boats were Currawong, which retired, and Nixon, the minnows at just 30 foot long.

The oldest yacht was Sylph which was built in 1960.

The Hobart waterfront during the race. Picture: Chris Kidd

TWO HANDED MIXED FORTUNES

Mistral skipper Rupert Henry and crew mate Jack Bouttell won the tough two-handed division on line and handicap.

But his father David on Philosophy was a later retirement from the race and eventually had to motor his way ton Hobart.

David Henry and crew mate Stephen Prince were sidelined late on Saturday with rigging damage.

OLI THE CAT

Oli raced on Sylph and needed permission from race official to compete.

Oli and owner Bob Williams have sailed together for years.

They finally arrived on January 3 after more than seven days and 19 hours at sea.

WINNERS AND GRINNERS

LINE HONOURS

1 LawConnect Christian Beck NSW 1:19:03:5814.6 Dec 28 08:03:58 AM

2 Andoo Comanche John Winning Jr NSW 1:19:04:4914.6, Dec 28 08:04:49 AM

3 URM Group Anthony Johnston NSW 2:02:07:1912. Dec 28 03:07:19 PM

IRC OVERALL

1 Alive Philip Turner TAS

2 URM Group Anthony Johnston NSW

3 Moneypenny Sean Langman NSW

TWO HANDED LINE HONOURS

1 Mistral (TH) Rupert Henry NSW

2 Showdown (TH) Drew Carruthers QLD

3 Kraken 111 (TH) Rob Gough/John Saul TAS

TWO HANDED IRC

1 Mistral (TH) Rupert Henry NSW

2 Kraken 111 (TH) Rob Gough/John Saul TAS

3 Min River (TH) Jiang Lin NSW

PHS HANDICAP

1 Oroton Drumfire Will Vicars NSW

2 Mako Paul O’Rourke NSW

3 She’s The Culprit

CORINTHIAN IRC

1 Pretty Woman Richard Hudson NSW

2 Cinnamon Girl Cian McCarthy Ireland

3 Calibre 12 Richard Williams NSW

CORINTHIAN PHS

1 Ragtime Steve Watson NSW

2 Navy One Royal Australian Navy (RAN) NSW

3 Pretty Woman Richard Hudson NSW

Originally published as Sydney to Hobart yacht race wrap 2023: Winners, drama, history, finish times, results, damage, weather