3 min read · Updated 22 June 2026
The Sydney to Hobart is one of the world's great ocean races — a 628-nautical-mile test run from Sydney Harbour to Hobart every Boxing Day since 1945. Its record book is studded with famous names: the outright race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche in 2017, and the nine line-honours wins of Wild Oats XI. Here are the records, the winners and the history that make it an icon. For the race itself, see our Rolex Sydney Hobart regatta guide.
The race record
The fastest passage in the race's history belongs to the American supermaxi Comanche, which in 2017 covered the 628 miles in 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds — a record that still stands. It is a measure of how far the race has come that the slowest time ever, from the very first race in 1945, was 11 days, 6 hours and 20 minutes, set by the yacht Wayfarer. The modern supermaxis have compressed a week-and-a-half ordeal into a day-and-a-half sprint.
The great line-honours yachts
Line honours — being the first boat to finish — is the prize the big maxis chase. The most successful of all is Wild Oats XI, which won line honours a record nine times between 2005 and 2018, including four years in a row from 2005 to 2008. Its long rivalry with the other supermaxis defined an era of the race. In recent years the giant maxi yachts — Comanche, LawConnect and others — have continued the battle for first to the Derwent.
History
The race began almost by accident. In 1945, a group planned a cruise to Hobart; it was turned into a race, and nine boats started on Boxing Day. From those beginnings it has been run annually by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, growing into a global icon woven into maritime and sporting history — and, at times, into tragedy, most notably the 1998 race in which six sailors died, after which the sport transformed its safety standards (see offshore safety equipment).
The two trophies
The race is scored two ways at once, which is why the "winner" can be confusing to newcomers:
- The J.H. Illingworth Challenge Trophy goes to the yacht that takes line honours — first to finish, pure speed.
- The Tattersall's Cup goes to the overall winner on corrected time under handicap — the premier prize, because a well-sailed boat of any size can win it.
Understanding that split is essential to following the race — see line honours versus handicap. The first boat to Hobart and the overall champion are frequently different yachts, which is exactly the point.
Following the race
The Boxing Day start on Sydney Harbour is one of the great spectacles of the Australian summer, and the finish up the Derwent in Hobart is watched around the world — our guide to how to watch the Sydney Hobart covers both. It sits at the head of the east-coast racing calendar, the race every offshore sailor knows.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Sydney to Hobart race record?
- The race record is 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set by the American supermaxi Comanche in 2017. It remains the fastest time in the history of the race. By contrast, the slowest time ever recorded was 11 days, 6 hours and 20 minutes, set by Wayfarer in the very first race in 1945.
- Who has won the most Sydney to Hobart line honours?
- Wild Oats XI holds the record for line honours, winning it nine times between 2005 and 2018, including four years in a row from 2005 to 2008. Line honours goes to the first boat to finish, and Wild Oats XI's run of victories made it the most successful line-honours yacht in the race's history.
- How long is the Sydney to Hobart race?
- The course is 628 nautical miles, running from Sydney Harbour, down the New South Wales coast, across Bass Strait, and down the east coast of Tasmania to finish in Hobart on the River Derwent. It is one of the world's classic offshore races, testing crews against often severe conditions in Bass Strait.
- When is the Sydney to Hobart held?
- It starts on Boxing Day, 26 December, every year, from Sydney Harbour. The race has been run annually since 1945 by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, and the Boxing Day start on the harbour is one of the great sights of Australian summer.
- What are the two main Sydney to Hobart trophies?
- There are two headline prizes. The J.H. Illingworth Challenge Trophy goes to the yacht that takes line honours — the first boat to finish. The Tattersall's Cup goes to the overall winner on corrected time under handicap, which is considered the race's premier prize because it can be won by a boat of any size that sails well.