sydney hobart yacht race prize money

Miserable drought finally broken in huge Sydney to Hobart win

Supermaxi Black Jack won the prestigious Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Tuesday ending years of frustrating near misses.

Owned by Australian Peter Harburg and skippered by Mark Bradford, Black Jack took line honours after a tight tussle with LawConnect on the River Derwent after two days 12 hours 37min and 17sec of racing.

For Harburg it was his first win in the race after several times falling short and comes in a boat named after Australian Formula One legend and three-time world champion Jack Brabham, who was also a friend of his.

Harburg’s decision to stay on shore for the first time and not be on the boat — which he bought ahead of the 2017 race — paid off handsomely.

Indeed Harburg had been on board when it finished second (2018), third (2017) and fifth (2019) — the latter occasion it led before being overtaken by four other boats.

“Mark said he was confident from the start. I was confident when that [finish] cannon went off,” said Harburg.

“We will both be in tears anytime ... It’s the grand prize of yachting in Australia. It’s the first time I’ve been involved in the winning team.”

It is the second time the boat itself has won the race having triumphed in 2009 under the name of Alfa Romeo when powned by Neville Crichton — Harburg subsequently bought it and changed the name.

The crew celebrated with hugs and pats on the backs before undergoing Covid-19 tests and then finally set foot on dry land.

Bradford said the win was rich consolation after so many years of trying and missing out.

“We’ve had five, six years in a row now and we’ve finished first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh,” he said.

It was one of the slowest Sydney to Hobart races ever with harsh conditions forcing withdrawals due to damage or minor crew injuries.

On Tuesday morning, Black Jack had regained a six nautical mile lead on LawConnect.

Weather is critical in the 628-nautical-mile (1,200-km) race down Australia’s east coast to Hobart, one of the world’s most challenging ocean events.

Six men died, five boats sank, and 55 sailors were rescued during the 1998 event when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait.

But this year, organisers also faced the trials of a global pandemic, which already nixed last year’s edition — cancelling the event for the first time since it began in 1945.

Several yachts were also unable to compete because of Covid-19, including favourites Comanche and Wild Oats XI.

Before the start, four yachts were forced to retire, leaving 88 entrants at the starting line, including 17 two-handed crafts, which are allowed to take part for the first time.

It was a sharp reduction from the 157 boats that set out in 2019. Though the first yacht to reach the finishing line grabs most public attention, the main prize for sailors is regarded as the handicap honours, which take account of the size of the yachts.

That detail matters not a jot to Bradford who was looking forward to the celebrations.

“If you come to the Customs House (hotel) later you’ll see how that’s done. Unorthodox I would say,” said Bradford.

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Revealed: The VERY surprising prize money Sydney to Hobart winner LawConnect will receive - and why there were so many black sails in this year's race

• Sydney to Hobart finish was second-closest ever 
• LawConnect claimed line honours by just 51 seconds
• Trailed Andoo Comanche going into the River Derwent 

By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia and Ethan James For Australian Associated Press

Published: 18:25 EDT, 27 December 2023 | Updated: 20:27 EDT, 27 December 2023

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Perennial bridesmaid LawConnect has claimed Sydney to Hobart line honours in one of the great race's craziest finishes - but won't get a cent of prize money for the stunning victory.

LawConnect, runner-up in the past three events, crawled across the River Derwent finish line not long after 8am (AEDT) on Thursday just 51 seconds ahead of Andoo Comanche.

The two supermaxis, who were neck-and-neck the whole race, played cat-and-mouse in light winds as they neared the finish line.

Both performed several jibe manoeuvres as they attempted to secure the lead.

It is the second-closest finish in Sydney to Hobart history after Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by a mere seven seconds in 1982.

LawConnect delivered one of the great comebacks to win line honours in the Sydney to Hobart on Thursday morning (pictured, skipper Christian Beck lifts the trophy)

The race winners will receive no prize money - but they do get to take home a trophy (pictured, LawConnect is greeted after the come-from-behind win)

The final finish time of LawConnect, skippered and owned by Christian Beck, was one day, 19 hours, three minutes and 58 seconds.

Surprisingly, there is no prize money awarded to the winner of the race, but crews aren't just competing for glory, either.

Teams compete for trophies in different categories - the two main ones being Line Honours and Overall. 

The Overall winner is decided based on handicap. 

Many yachts competing in the event had black sails this year instead of the white sails previously associated with the event.

That's because many sails are now made using carbon fibre for its strength, and the high-tech substance is black.

Running sails in that colour also helps protect against the sun's UV rays, making them more durable. 

Comanche had taken a narrow lead into the River Derwent after holding the advantage down Tasmania's east coast on Wednesday night.

LawConnect was first out of the Heads in Sydney on Boxing Day after a dramatic start to the 628-nautical mile bluewater classic and the retirement of fellow supermaxi SHK Scallywag.

Many yachts competing in the historic race now use black sails instead of the more traditional white because they incorporate carbon fibre to provide strength

Scallywag was forced to retire roughly six hours into the race after breaking her bow sprit.

Eleven of the race's starting 103-strong fleet have pulled the pin, with some reporting damage and seasickness in challenging conditions which included a thunderstorm on the first night.

LawConnect navigator Chris Lewis described the stormy seas as 'wild' with 180-degree wind shifts.

Moneypenny, URM Group and Alive are in a bunch about 80 nautical miles behind the two duelling leaders, with the third remaining supermaxi Wild Thing 100 further back in sixth.

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Celestial crowned overall winner of Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Celestial skipper and owner sam haynes said he wasn't expecting to claim the title, labelling the feat a "lifetime achievement"..

Celestial skipper Sam Haynes says he is pleasantly surprised to win the title, adding that his goal had been to be "competitive" and deliver the best result possible. Source: Getty / Brett Hemmings

• Celestial has been named the overall winner in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
• Skipper Sam Haynes says the win is particularly special after the yacht's experience last year.
• Rough seas have forced more vessels to retire.

Redemption after heartache in 2021

Rough seas force more vessels to retire

Race record in sight for leaders in Sydney to Hobart yacht race

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Eye on the prize: The contenders optimised for Sydney Hobart gold

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smarttune from Cyclops onboard J/99

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smarttune from Cyclops

Eye on the prize – The contenders optimised for Sydney Hobart gold

As the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race draws nearer, anticipation is reaching its peak. Within the varied entries, many standout yachts are finalising their preparations, leveraging Cyclops’ wireless load sensors. Providing precise in-race load data via onboard displays, wireless load sensing has been part of the success stories of many top-performing yachts in recent editions of the Great Race.

In the last edition, Cyclops-equipped yachts included the overall winner, the entire podium of the two-handed division, the top two in IRC 3, and second across the line. As these yachts ready themselves for this year’s challenge, a focus will be harnessing this technology, by reacting to live load data on-screen to achieve consistently fast settings and adapt swiftly to changing conditions.

LawConnect Finishing second in the past three editions, ‘LawConnect’ will be determined to clinch the title this year. With the absence of Sydney Hobart legends (and fellow Cyclops sailors) Wild Oats XI, the field may seem more open, but competition will be intense – not least from formidable race record holder and multi-time champion Andoo Comanche. smart link sensors from Cyclops provide live and logged load data from LawConnect’s soft lines.

Celestial After finishing in an excruciating second to fellow Cyclops users ‘Ichi Ban’ in 2021 and returning to claim the Tattersall Cup in glorious fashion in 2022, ‘Celestial’ is back with yacht upgrades and a formidable crew. The overall winner is difficult to predict, but depending on conditions, things could favour the 52-footers, and you wouldn’t bet against them lifting the Tattersall Cup once again!

Maritimo 52 Queensland’s Bill Barry-Cotter brings Maritimo 52 into the fray, with the experienced Michael Spies as Sailing Master. Another TP52 fitted with Cyclops wireless load sensing technology, she could certainly be one to watch as things unfold.

Atomic Blonde A lot depends on conditions, but the smaller boats could also be in with a chance of overall glory. Simon Torvaldsen’s newly Australian built JPK 11.80, ‘Atomic Blonde’ is a new boat for a team with a history of divisional wins and offshore championships. Atomic Blonde is equipped with a smart tune from Cyclops on the forestay. smart tune provides live forestay loads – the most emphatic upgrade for consistently achieving optimal settings, it provides an overall picture of the dynamic balance of the rig. 

Two-Handed Contenders: The two-handed division is an arena where Cyclops sailors asserted sheer dominance in last year’s race. With the entire podium – Lombard 34 ‘Mistral’, Sun Fast 3300 ‘Sun Fast Racing’, and Young 11 ‘Pacman’ – all using the game-changing tech.

Load data is a huge asset to all race teams, but for shorthanded sailors it can make a world of difference, allowing you to focus on the changing conditions and get the best out of your equipment, conserving energy and mental focus, with full confidence that your rig is optimised and you are hitting your targets.

Offshore racing also presents the challenge of sailing at night. Learn more about how Cyclops can be your eyes in the dark .

Mistral Last year’s two-handed champion, Mistral, helmed by Rupert Henry with Jack Bouttell as co-skipper, is a testament to this. After their win we caught up with them to find out how their smarttune had helped:

“The forestay load sensor is a big help with being able to replicate and then change our rig tune without guesswork. The hounds on Mistral’s rig are relatively high for a Fractional rig and the spreaders are quite swept back with the side chainplates very wide. This makes the dock-tune tension on the forestay a big determinant of on-water forestay sag because the backstays don’t move the mast head very much. Now we have dock tune loads for different conditions which has improved jib setup on the water. It’s also good to be able to put reference marks on the backstay tails for desired forestay load so that we can come out of tacks and know what forestay tension we have.” – Rupert Henry

Pacman Following up on its debut 3rd place finish in last year’s two-handed division, Cyclops-equipped Young 11 ‘Pacman’ is helmed by Peter Elkington, and will be back with an eye on going two better in 2023!

Rum Rebellion With a series of victories and strong performances in the Blue Water Pointscore in 2023, Shane Connelly’s J/99 is another top contender in the two-handed division.

Rum Rebellion is equipped with a smar ttune s ensor, a crucial addition as attested by Connelly after the 2021 Sydney Hobart Race:

“Prior to the Race Jon Kimberley of Any Port Marine Sydney was kind enough to offer me a Cyclops smart tune load sensor to test during the race. Upon my return I immediately purchased it.

Here are the reasons why…

Three weeks prior to the race we fitted the smart tune . During the lead up to the race we worked with Jon, our rigger and sail maker to tune the rig for race conditions recording data from the smart tune for our backstay tensions. After some fine tuning we believed we had the rig set up to suit the conditions anticipated for the race…

On night one of the race the fleet was hit with a strong southerly squall, known here as a ‘southerly buster’. The southerly peaked at about forty knots and the sea conditions along the East Australia Current – setting at about 3 knots from the north, were atrocious. The southerly continued for about two days. Sadly almost half the fleet retired due to a variety of rig, sail, mechanical, and crew issues with more than half of the two handed fleet retiring. We were lucky enough to be able to continue to race due to a variety of reasons including luck, thorough boat preparation and perhaps an element of dogged determination.

Clearly in these conditions the Cyclops smart tune was a great asset to have on board. To have precise load readings, rather than guess work – particularly at the height of the squall was invaluable. I would like to again thank Jon for the opportunity to use the sensor and have no hesitation recommending it to fellow offshore sailors.”

Tumbleweed Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 Tumbleweed, raced by Graham Biehl and Nigel Nattrass, is another formidable entry in the two-handed division. With Biehl’s Olympic experience and Nattrass’s extensive offshore racing background, Tumbleweed is set to make its mark, with Cyclops tech lending a helping hand.

As the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race unfolds, these Cyclops-equipped yachts, with their skilled crews and advanced technology, are optimised to perform at their very best, and to react effectively to every obstacle of this formidable challenge. These are just a small number of the teams that will be powering towards Hobart with the help of Cyclops data.   

If you’d like to learn more about Cyclops technology, visit the website

EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR – ARCUS WIRE GROUP

An extensive range of Cyclops devices and accessories is available here in Australia from Arcus Wire Group. For further information and trade enquiries, please reach out to the Arcus Wire Group team on 1800 272 879, email [email protected] or see the latest Cyclops brochure on the downloads page at www.arcuswire.com

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ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE: DEFINED BY AN INTREPID SPIRIT AND CAMARADERIE

Geneva, 23 December 2021 - The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race holds a towering status in the world of sailing. It captures the attention of a nation and enjoys a glowing international reputation that has long transcended the traditional boundaries of the sport. Rolex has partnered this legendary competition and its organizers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), since 2002.

Over its three-quarters of a century history, the race has provided a platform for human achievement and endeavour, qualities that align with Rolex's core philosophy and which underpin the Swiss watchmaker's more than 60-year involvement in yachting. The 76th edition is scheduled for the traditional lunchtime start on 26 December, with a fleet of more than 90 yachts expected to take on the famous 628-nautical mile (1,010 kilometres) course.

Some 60,000 sailors and 7,000 yachts have taken part in the race since its inception in 1945. From its beginnings, competitors have been drawn to the scale and unpredictability of the challenge, and to the demands on their skills in both preparing and handling their yacht.

After a spectacular departure from Sydney Harbour, the fleet heads south along the New South Wales coast of the Tasman Sea before crossing Bass Strait to tackle the east coast of Tasmania, Storm Bay and the final 12-nm (22 km) stretch in the often decisive, and sometimes cruel, Derwent River, before finishing in Hobart. Most entrants spend four to five days at sea. Watch systems and resources need to be managed assiduously. To negotiate the testing conditions requires willpower, experience and intuition.

Sir Ben Ainslie, a Rolex Testimonee, four-time Olympic gold medallist and helm of the Great Britain SailGP Team, is a past competitor and says: The experience gave me a real appreciation of the sailing prowess and camaraderie inherent in offshore racing, especially within the Corinthian boats taking two or three times as long and being not quite as comfortable as the maxis. A neat part of these races is the fact that handicap means, whatever the size of boat, everyone has a chance to win. The weather plays a part but smaller amateur-sailed boats often win against the professionals.

Winning the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall after time correction and securing the coveted Tattersall Cup guarantees a place in yachting folklore. Matt Allen's Ichi Ban has won two of the past three editions, in 2017 and 2019. Should the Australian boat emerge victorious again, she will join two of the race's most celebrated names, Freya (1963, 1964, 1965) and Love & War (1974, 1978, 2006), on three victories.

Beyond the competition to win overall, the consistent presence of some of the world's most impressive 100-foot (30.5 metre) Maxi yachts has produced epic contests in the battle to be first across the finish line. The race record currently stands at 33 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set by  Comanche  in 2017. Arriving in Hobart inside two days, a marker first set in 1999, has been achieved in each of the past four editions.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart attracts both professional and Corinthian sailors. Leaders from the political, business and entertainment worlds, as well as stars from other sports, have been drawn to participate. This all adds to the race’s appeal, which is already bolstered by a distinctive position in the sailing calendar and the pioneering feats of those who have confronted its many obstacles over the years. Matt Allen, a former Commodore of the CYCA, spent decades trying to win the event as a skipper. His story is one of persistence, of the time it can take to acquire the experience and knowledge to succeed. Having completed his 30th race to Hobart in 2019, he remarked:

“Over the years, I’ve seen amazing boats participate but it’s actually the people that  make this race and ocean racing what they are.”

Intrepid human spirit lies at the heart of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race’s creation and remains its foundation today. Rolex is proud to support a sporting contest that mirrors the brand’s own Perpetual spirit: humbly adapting to the elements, constantly seeking to improve and summoning one’s deepest resources.

A NATURAL AND SUPPORTIVE PARTNER Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand's enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events - from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world's most famous harbours. Rolex's partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

• About the race
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• Tattersall Cup

From the Tattersall Cup for the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time, to the John H Illingworth Challenge Cup for the line honours boat and the Alan Payne Memorial Trophy for the designer of the winning yacht, there is plenty of silverware to which competitors in the Rolex Sydney Hobart aspire.

The perpetual trophies include:

The George Adams Tattersall Cup - for the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time, together with a Tattersall Medal for each member of the crew of the winning boat.

Government of Tasmania Trophy - for the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time

RORC Plaque - for the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time

Bill Owen Memorial Trophy - for the navigator of the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time

Alan Payne Memorial Trophy - for the designer of the overall winner on IRC rating corrected time

John H Illingworth Challenge Cup  - for the line honours boat

Jack Rooklyn Memorial Trophy - for the first yacht out of Sydney Heads measured at the inner turning marks (except in the case a boat infringes in the Harbour and takes a penalty turn prior to the specified latitude or is subject to protest)

F & J Livingstone Trophy - for the first yacht due south of Tasman Island

Barbarian Trophy   - fastest boat on corrected time with an all-female crew in the IRC overall division

Solo Trophy - for 2nd place overall on IRC rating corrected time

Bass Strait Cup   - for 2nd place overall on IRC rating corrected time

City of Hobart Trophy   - for 2nd place overall on IRC rating corrected time

RYCT Trophy   - for 3rd place overall on IRC rating corrected time

Storm Bay Cup   - for 3rd place overall on IRC rating corrected time

Rushcutter Trophy - for the winner of IRC Division 0

George Barton Trophy - for the winner of IRC Division 1

Peter Allsop Memorial Trophy - for the winner of IRC Division 2

RORC Trophy - for the winner of IRC Division 3 

Sir Arthur Warner Trophy - for the winner of IRC Division 4

Two-Handed IRC Trophy - for the winner of the Two-Handed IRC Division 

RANSA Trophy - for the winner of the PHS Division 1

York Family Trophy - for the winner of the Corinthian PHS Division

Graeme Frizzle Freeman Memorial Trophy - for the winner of the Corinthian IRC Division

One Tonne Trophy - for the winner of the Sydney 38 One Design Division

Jane Tate Memorial Trophy - for the first female skipper over the line

Apollo Trophy - for the first yacht under 18.5 metres LOA to finish

Plum Crazy Trophy - for the first yacht under 9.5 metres LOA to finish

Battery Point Trophy - for the first small boat to finish

City of Hobart Trophy - for the navigator of the first Tasmanian yacht on handicap

Polish Trophy - for the yacht that travels the furthest to compete in the race

Adrienne Cahalan Trophy - for female sailors who have competed in 20 Sydney Hobart Yacht Races.

Ichi Ban Trophy - recognises all conventionally ballasted and open race record holders since the race began in 1945 and is awarded each year a race record is broken.

Southern Cross Cup - Teams event

Eligibility in 2023:

• Teams shall comprise of three boats representing a Country, State or Yacht Club.
• All three boats shall be entered in the IRC category of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023.
• At least one boat must must be two-handed 
• At least one boat must be fully crewed 
• To represent a country the owners of the three boats must be permanent residents of that Country.
• To represent a State the owners of the three boats must be permanent residents in that State.
• To represent a Yacht Club the owners must be members of that Yacht Club.

The team with the lowest aggregate of each boat's race score (with only Southern Cross Cup boats included) in the overall IRC category shall be the winner of the Southern Cross Cup.  The low point system will be used.

OFFICIAL ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART MERCHANDISE

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Yacht Race You Need to See to Believe

WHAT SPARKS YOUR INTEREST?

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Considered one of the most difficult yacht races in the world, this is one of Australia’s most beloved and anticipated events.

What Is It?

The yacht race starts in Sydney, Australia and takes racers all the way to the Tassie capital of Hobart , taking place over several days. The winner often reaches the finish line in less than two. With over 100 contestants, this is an extremely challenging and competitive race.

What Can You Expect

Interested in catching the end of the race? Go to Hobart’s Constitution Dock where the fleet will arrive after finishing the race and witness local new year festivities.

The race is held by both the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (Sydney). The winner receives a Rolex watch--hence the festival’s name. It is extremely difficult to win and the crews of the yachts compete at the most professional level.

When and Where?

Not sure where to go? If you want to celebrate with the yacht’s captain’s and enjoy champagne, then you will want to go to Hobart.To get there, fly into Hobart’s international airport .

Go to the Royal Botanical Gardens for the best view of the competing yachts. For a fun time, bring food and snacks for a picnic. If you want to see the boats cross the finish line, then you will need to stay in Hobart beforehand. Most boats start to arrive 2 or 3 days after the race begins.

The race started in 1945. Since that time, its taken place every single year without missing a beat. Yacht racing can find its origins in England.

Luckily for spectators, the event only costs money for those yachts that register to compete.

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Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is a huge sporting event in Australia that is held on Boxing Day each year.

Attracting some of the best sailing crews in the world, the race travels from Sydney, 630 nautical miles (1,100km) south to Tasmania.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2024, Dates, Times, Course Route & Tracker

The race record is around one day, 9 hours and 15 minutes. Each boat’s time is adjusted according to its size and expected speed, adopting a handicap system. The power-to-weight ratio is the most crucial factor in speed, and most boats competing in the race are ‘sloops’ – single-mast yachts.

For visitors wanting to view the race whilst they are in Sydney , head to Sydney Harbour as the fleet sails out to the Tasman Sea before heading south down the coast and over the Bass Strait. Head over to Nielsen Park, where the cannons will signal the start of the race, usually around 1pm. For those wanting to get up close to the action, head over to Middle Head Lookout or Headland Park.

The Seven Network, through 7Mate, will once again broadcast the start of the race live around Australia. ABC TV will also follow the fleet down the eastern seaboard and provide all the in-race news footage used by the various Australian and International news networks.

Seven West Media will webcast the program for those who can’t watch the live broadcast of the start of the Race on the Seven Network across Australia. You can also watch a live webcast on the home page of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website.

The Yacht Tracker page lets viewers track the entire fleet or a particular boat from start to finish. Yacht Tracker uses a specially designed tool that calculates the predicted results for every boat in the fleet so you can see how each boat is performing. Each yacht will be fitted with a tracker that will obtain a position using the GPS satellite network and transmit that position back to HQ.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Images & Photos

Sydney to hobart yacht race, nsw current weather now & 7 day forecast, sydney to hobart yacht race information & details,  event dates,  event times,  contact details, sydney to hobart yacht race area, street & hotel map, nsw, other places we recommend.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race line honours go to Black Jack in crawling overnight finish

Supermaxi Black Jack has taken out line honours in the 2021 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, in an incident-packed event. 

Key points:

• It was the slowest line honours win since 2004, finishing in 2 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes
• Comanche still holds the line honours record, set in 2017, with 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds
• Dozens of yachts were forced to retire early in the race due to bad conditions

The Mark Bradford-skippered, Monaco-flagged yacht crossed the line after 2 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes, arriving just after 1:30am AEDT.

It was the slowest line honours time since 2004.

Black Jack held and extended its lead over LawConnect and SHK Scallywag in the final hours of racing but up until then it was a three-way tussle.

Bradford said he and yacht owner Peter Harburg had been working on the win for 14 years.

"We'll both be in tears at any time," Harburg said.

"It is very, very emotional … for me it's the first time I've been involved in the winning team. Mark has done it before but it's very special.

"We came to win, we can win the race. So yeah, we gave it everything."

Bradford said the first 30 hours of the race were "tough" but he knew straight away that they would have a good race.

"Pretty much after the start gun went, we had a pretty good feeling," he said.

"It's a long race and we had a tough race.

"We had a couple of minor things went wrong but this is a professional sailing team and this is a well-prepared boat."

Bradford said getting through the first night was a combination of good luck, good management and a good boat.

"These are really complicated boats and it's hard to keep on the water … the preparation, the time that we put into this project really shines through in those conditions," he said. 

The skipper spent the first 20 hours below deck.

"I just had internal problems, mostly my stomach was coming out of my mouth," he said. 

"Maybe it's in my DNA. But yeah, certainly I'll put it down to the conditions today."

He praised the efforts of rivals.

"With both the other boats, we dropped Scallywag near the end for a bit but she came back and then LawConnect was right there the whole way.

"They [LawConnect] led us for a bit, then we clawed it back at the end."

LawConnect finished less than three hours later with a time of 2 days, 15 hours and 11 minutes.

SHK Scallywag crossed third with 2 days, 15 hours and 30 minutes.

LawConnect hit by computer woes 

LawConnect skipper Ty Oxley said the team faced issues apart from the tough first night conditions.

"The first night was pretty tough we had a few issues, but we got through it," he said.

"We actually didn't know where we were because our computer got wet so we did the majority of the race not knowing whether we were in the lead or not."

One crew member who is not a professional sailor was able to help with the computer problems.

"One of them is an IT genius he works in the IT team, so when our computer went down we were able to reconfigure some networks and get back online," he said.

"Second day it got pretty light [wind], and it's pretty tough in this old girl, so against some of the lighter boats … but it is what it is.

"We got through but it was pretty tough the last 24 hours."

Oxley is now taking the boat straight back to Sydney.

"My goal is to be back in Sydney by New Year's Eve as we have a function on the boat … makes me crazy or stupid, I don't know which one," he laughed.

'Never give up'

Skipper of third-placed Scallywag, David Witt, said the crew was disappointed after a tough race but were happy to make it to Hobart at all.

"The crew did an amazing job, we probably don't deserve to have a 100-footer here in the condition the boat ended up in the first night so it was a credit to the team that the boat got here," he said.

"We broke the J2 tack coming out of the harbour, and then we broke it again. The two times cost us about 20 miles.

"Then we lost all electronics and then we sailed three quarters of the race with no instruments at all on a 100 footer so that's a pretty difficult thing to do. 

"The boat was fast enough this time but we just couldn't keep it together.

"Scallywags never give up and to win you first have to finish, so we finished, we just didn't win."

Witt said coronavirus had affected the preparations for the Hong Kong team and on a personal level he and his wife had almost died from COVID this year after catching the disease while stuck in the Philippines for 10 months.

Dozens of teams retire

The race fleet took a battering on the first day , with dozens of teams forced to retire due to sail and rigging damage, with one crew member injured on the New South Wales yacht Zen.

Day two saw further carnage , with yachts limping back to ports on the New South Wales coast.

One skipper who pulled into Eden said he was gutted after hitting "something hard" in the water and damaging the hull.

As of this morning, 36 yachts had retired, the largest number since 2015 when 25 of 84 starting yachts failed to finish.

COVID has also played havoc after forcing the cancellation of last year's race and constant testing of competitors this year.

"COVID has been a real feature of this whole campaign for everyone and I think it's great that the CYCA [Cruising Yacht Club of Australia] could get this race away," winning skipper Mark Bradford said.

"We're probably the most COVID-tested people in yachting. We've been going hard for a month now."

The battle for line honours had become a battle between Black Jack, LawConnect and SHK Scallywag, with the three supermaxis making it through difficult conditions before entering Bass Strait.

The line honours victory is well behind the record set by Comanche in 2017 (1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds).

Black Jack previously claimed line honours in the Bluewater Classic in 2009 under the name Alfa Romeo.

It finished fifth in the last Sydney to Hobart in 2019 and was second to Wild Oats XI by just 28 minutes in the 2018 thriller.

Black Jack navigator Alex Nolan told media early on Tuesday that the crew had decided to sail outside the rhumb line, the line on the course representing the shortest distance, and were "pushing it hard".

The focus now shifts to the overall winner — the Tattersall Cup — a handicap prize determined by a number of factors including the size and weight of the competing craft.

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