Disaster strikes Tasmanian pride as defending champion Alive forced out of Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Tasmanian yacht Alive’s Sydney-Hobart race dead in the water. Here’s what happened >>

Disaster has struck the pride of the Tasmanian fleet in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race with defending champion Alive out of the race on the opening day.

Winner on overall handicap last summer, Alive’s 2024 race lasted three hours when a faulty engine forced it to retire.

Sydney-Hobart 2023 – Duncan Hine skipper. Alive, are the first Tasmanian boat home in the Sydney to Hobart 2023 and in with a good chance of taking handicap honours overall. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The Tasmanian 66-footer, which celebrated its second Sydney-Hobart race win in 2023, had a fantastic start, third boat through Sydney Heads behind 100-foot supermaxis LawConnect and Comanche.

Tasmania's defending champion Alive powers down the NSW Coast on the opening day of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart. Picture Rolex-Carlo Borlenghi.jpg

Place fourth in the race for line honours as the fleet of 104 powered down the NSW Coast, Alive’s race ended when it reported “engine issues” to race control.

The engine is critical to the function of a modern ocean racer to produce electricity to power communications equipment, computers, lights, canting keel and winches.

Comanche leads the fleet setting a record pace, followed by defending line honours champion LawConnect, another supermaxi Wild Thing and the Volvo 70, Celestial.