Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2018 start time: When is the Sydney to Hobart? Route, yachts, key information

25th December, 2018

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The Sydney to Hobart is Australia's biggest yacht race. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) /

The Roar

25th December, 2018

2164 Reads

As the lunch break is taken at the MCG, the mad scramble for the remote will see a majority of Aussie households flick over to the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race. It’s scheduled to get underway on Sydney Harbour at 1pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, December 26.

Sydney to Hobart LIVE updates, blog

The race, which is rated as one of the toughest ocean races in the world, will see a fleet of over 90 yachts snake their way out of Sydney Harbour past the heads, down the coast of New South Wales, past Eden, out into Bass Strait, then along the Tasmanian east coast before turning for Hobart and making the final crawl up the typically fickle Derwent River.

Sailing south, this race throws up some of the worst weather conditions imaginable. There are no crueller reminders of that than the 1998 race, when six people lost their lives. This year’s edition is the 20th anniversary of that fateful race.

Key race information: 2018 Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Start: Wednesday, December 26, 1pm (AEDT)
Start location: Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales
Finish location: Derwent River, Hobart, Tasmania
TV: First hour live on 7Mate
Online: First hour live on Plus 7
Betting: Comanche $1.85, Wild Oats XI $3.50, Black Jack $4.50, Scallywag $10, Infotrack $12
2018 line honours winner: Comanche
2018 handicap winner: Ichi Ban

Full field

Yacht name	Location	Boat type
2 Unlimited	TAS	Farr 40 MOD
Aikin – Hames Sharley	SA	Ker 11.3
Alive	TAS	Reichel Pugh 66
Allegro	NSW	Warwick 67
Anger Management	WA	Salona 44
Apsaras	Hong Kong	Advanced A80
Arcadia	VIC	Archambault 40 RC
Arch Rival	NSW	Jones 39
Audere	VIC	Beneteau First 45
Ausreo	NSW	Beneteau 47.7
Avalanche	VIC	Hick 40
Black Jack	QLD	RP100
Black Sheep	TAS	Beneteau First 45
Bush Paul Group	NSW	TP52
Calypso	NSW	Moody 54 DS
Celestial	NSW	TP 52
Chancellor	NSW	Beneteau 47.7
Chutzpah	VIC	Caprice 40
Cinquante	NSW	Sydney 38
Comanche	NSW	100 Supermaxi
Dare Devil	NSW	Farr/Cookson 47
Dreki Sunnan	NSW	Beneteau First 45
Duende	NSW	JV52
Enterprise	WA	Farr 40
Envy Scooters	QLD	TP 52
Extasea	VIC	DK 46
Flying Fish Arctos	NSW	McIntyre 55
Frantic	NSW	TP52 Donovan
Grace O’Malley	NSW	Cookson 12
Great Xpectations	NSW	X43
Gun Runner	NSW	Jarkan
Gweilo	NSW	TP 52
Hartbreaker	VIC	Reichel Pugh 46
Helsal 3	NSW	Adams 20
Hollywood Boulevard	NSW	Farr 55
Ichi Ban	NSW	Botin 52
Infotrack	NSW	Juan-K 100
Jackpot	NSW	J/122
Joy Ride	USA	J122e
Kayimai	NSW	Azurre 46
Kialoa 2	NSW	S&S Yawl
Koa	NSW	TP52
Komatsu Azzurro	NSW	S & S 34
Kosatka Monster Project	Poland	Volvo 70
Lunatix	Germany	XP50
M3 Team Hungary	NSW	TP52
Mark Twain	QLD	S&S 39
Matrix	QLD	X 41
Mayfair	QLD	Beneteau First 40
Midnight Rambler	NSW	Sydney 36
Mille Sabords	NSW	Sydney 38
Naval Group	NSW	Reichel Pugh 65
Noahs II	China	Jones 70
Oroton Drumfire	NSW	Hoek TC78
PYR Jarhead Wot Eva	United Kingdom	Nelson Marek 52
Papillon	NSW	Archambault 40RC
Patrice	NSW	Ker 46
Patriot	VIC	J133
Pekljus	NSW	Radford 50
Pelagic Magic	NSW	Beneteau 40.7
Primitive Cool	VIC	RP51
Privateer	USA	Cookson 50
Prospector	USA	Mills 68
Quetzalcoatl	NSW	Jones 40
Ragamuffin	NSW	TP52
Relish IV	NSW	Elan 43
Reve	NSW	Beneteau 45F5
SailExchange	NSW	Cookson 12
Scallywag	Hong Kong	Dovell 100
SeaVentus Mahligai	Russia	Sydney 46
Showtime	NSW	Ker 40
Smuggler	NSW	Rogers 46
Sports Bar	NSW	Beneteau 47.7
St Jude	NSW	Sydney 47
Sticky	NSW	Salona 38
TSA Management	NSW	Sydney 38
Teasing Machine	France	NMYD 54
Triton	NSW	LC60
Trumpcard	QLD	Van de Stadt 44
URM	NSW	Farr 50
Voodoo	VIC	Reichel Pugh 63
Wax Lyrical	NSW	X 50
Weddell	Russia	Grand Mistral 80
Wild Oats X	NSW	Reichel Pugh
Wild Oats XI	NSW	RP100
Wings	NSW	Dehler 46
Winning Appliances	NSW	Carkeek 60
Wots Next	NSW	Sydney 47
Zen	NSW	TP52

Broadcast information

The best way to follow the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is right here on The Roar with our live blog. We will provide hour-by-hour updates, keeping a track of the fleet and the weather as they snake their way down the east coast of Australia.

The first hour of the race will be broadcast by Channel 7 through 7Mate as the fleet race to be first out of the heads. This coverage can also be live streamed on 7 Plus.

The other alternative to keep on top of the race once the TV coverage comes to an end is to tune into the official race tracker on the Sydney to Hobart website.

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