Summer is here in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is coming, and very soon it will be the start of the 74th Sydney to Hobart which I shall be covering once again from the water on Boxing Day. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race promises to be another pot boiler, with one of the strongest-ever fleets chasing line honours and the overall win to secure the Tattersall Cup. A fleet of 91 will take to the 628-nautical-mile journey – those from NSW, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria joining the international set representing China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Poland, Russia, the UK and the USA. Five super maxis, 13 international entrants, 10 TP52s, one of the healthiest representations of 60-70 footers seen in years, smaller boats – and veterans that linger, resilient against the power of the newer models in the field – make up this year’s fleet. 
Pictured here, Jim Cooney, owner of Comanche, last year’s controversial line honours winner, and Mark Richards super skipper of rival super maxi Wild Oats XI look to get their hands on the trophy. Look out though for the highly successful and in form TP52 Ichi Ban, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Yacht of the Year, which will be looking to take back to back overall honours, owner Matt Allen endeavouring to be the first person to do so in over 50 years.
The Tattersall Cup for Overall Winner Rolex Sydney Hobart.
