107 starters confirmed for the 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart

A fleet of 107 yachts is confirmed for the start of the 81st Rolex Sydney Hobart on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December, after entries closed this week.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) says the 628-nautical-mile race will bring together former Line Honours and Overall winners, 18 Double Handed entries and eight international yachts.

Four 100-footers for Line Honours

The fight for the Illingworth Challenge Cup looks set to be a big one, with four 100-foot maxis on the entry list:

• Christian Beck's LawConnect
• Anthony Bell's Loyal
• Mark Richards's Palm Beach XI
• Grant Wharington's Wild Thing 100

Three of the four have lifted the cup before. It goes to the first yacht across the finish line in Hobart. The maxis can test their form at the 2026 Australian Maxi Championship from 4–8 December, before the Boxing Day start.

Matt Allen, the 2025 Line Honours winner and a four-time Overall winner, returns aboard Ichi Ban, the Volvo 70 formerly known as Willow and Celestial V70.

A wide-open Tattersall Cup

The Tattersall Cup goes to the Overall winner on IRC handicap. Last year Jiang Lin became the first woman, and the first Double Handed crew, to win it. She returns with co-skipper Alexis Loison aboard her new JPK 10.50 Min River, chasing back-to-back wins.

"I never set out to win the Tattersall Cup. For us, it's about doing our best, enjoying the race and having as much fun as possible. Just because we won last year doesn't mean we'll win it again – it's a new race and anything can happen," Lin said.

"Alexis and I had such a great time sailing together last year, and we made some wonderful memories together. That's the feeling I want to recreate this year.

"The opportunity to purchase a JPK 10.50 came up while I was in France, and I couldn't resist the temptation. This will be my sixth Rolex Sydney Hobart and having been a CYCA Member for almost ten years, this race means a lot to me."

Other past winners and contenders on the list:

• Alive, the Tasmanian R/P66 and winner of the Tattersall Cup in 2018 and 2023, returns with Duncan Hines at the helm and navigator Adrienne Cahalan aboard.
• Love & War, a three-time Overall winner, finished third overall last year and is back again.
• Back 2 Black, Sean Langman's G/P42 and an Admirals Cup contender, is the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Overall winner.
• Five TP52s, including Sebastian Bohm's Smuggler and David Doherty's Islero (formerly Caro), add depth to the Overall contest.

Double Handed and women skippers

The Double Handed division keeps growing, with 18 entries. They include Min River, Rupert Henry's Mistral and Jules Hall's Disko Trooper.

There are also 13 women owner/skippers in the fleet. One is Elizabeth Tucker, whose First Light will race double-handed this year.

CYCA Commodore David Jacobs said the race is about more than the competition. For him it is about taking on one of the toughest ocean races, the spirit of adventure and the camaraderie of crossing the finish line "tired but exhilarated".

"The Rolex Sydney Hobart is an iconic event that showcases the very best of offshore sailing and the unique spirit of our sport. From the spectacle of the Boxing Day start on Sydney Harbour to the extraordinary scenes at Constitution Dock in Hobart, the race captures the imagination of people across Australia and around the world.

"What makes this race so special is the connection between the competitors and the communities that support them. Thousands of spectators line the harbour to farewell the fleet, and in Hobart, sailors are welcomed like heroes after taking on one of the world's great ocean racing challenges.

"We are proud to deliver an event with such a rich history and international standing and look forward to welcoming competitors and for another memorable edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race."

The start will be broadcast live across Australia on Channel Nine. It will also be streamed globally on the race website and on the CYCA's YouTube channel, CYCATV.

Source: Rolex Sydney Hobart https://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/race/2026/news/pre-race/rolex-sydney-hobart-entries-close-with-107-starters-confirmed/