Boxing Day Sail

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

[Photo: Taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap.]

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles. The race is run in co-operation with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The race was initially planned to be a cruise, but has grown over the decades, since the inaugural race in 1945, to become one of the pre-eminent offshore yacht races in the world and it now attracts maxi yachts from North America and Europe. The 2004 race marked the 60th running of the event.

In 2005, 89 boats are registered to start. Boats from the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, and four entries from New Zealand will compete with Australian boats from New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT. The start will be at 1:20 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time.