Bruny Island Race: Tasmania's Oldest Ocean Race

First sailed in 1898, the Bruny Island Race is one of the oldest ocean yacht races in Australia and the oldest in Tasmania — a roughly 89-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Bruny Island that pairs the winding inshore reaches of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel with the open Tasman Sea. Run by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, it is a cornerstone of Tasmanian sailing and a race with more than a century of history behind it.

What it is

The Bruny Island Race is an unusual hybrid: part inshore race, part offshore race. The fleet sails down the River Derwent and circumnavigates Bruny Island, south of Hobart, with the race committee setting the direction on the morning of the race depending on conditions. In recent years the fleet has been signalled to leave Bruny Island to port — sailing down the D'Entrecasteaux Channel to round Cape Bruny and Tasman Head before returning. That mix of intricate channel sailing and exposed ocean legs is the essence of the race, and a vivid example of the difference between offshore and inshore racing within a single course.

History

The race was first held on 19 March 1898, when it was simply called "The Ocean Race" and only local cruisers on the club register could enter. That origin makes it one of the oldest ocean yacht races in the country — its first running predates most of Australia's famous ocean races. There were several breaks in the early years, and again during the Second World War, but the race has run continuously since 1946, with the single exception of 1959. Few events anywhere carry that depth of unbroken tradition, and it remains a source of real pride for the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The challenge

What makes the Bruny Island Race special is its versatility test. The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is winding, shifty and tactical — rewarding local knowledge and constant trimming — while the ocean side of the island can serve up the open, rough water of the Tasman Sea. Tasmania's notoriously changeable weather can throw both at a fleet in a single day. It is sailed on the same waters that receive the Sydney Hobart and host the club racing described in our guide to sailing in Hobart and the Derwent.

How to enter and follow

Entries and event information are published by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. Crews should read the Notice of Race, confirm the safety requirements for the offshore portion, and enter before the deadline. The first boat home takes line honours, while the overall result is decided on corrected time under handicap — see line honours versus handicap — and the sailing terms glossary covers the language of the race.