 Map of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race route | |
| First held | 1945 |
|---|---|
| Start | Sydney,New South Wales, Australia |
| Finish | Hobart,Tasmania, Australia |
| Competitors | 103 (2023) |
| Champion | Alive(on handicap) LawConnect(Line Honours) |
| Most titles | Freya;Love & War; "Ichi Ban" (3)(on handicap) Wild Oats XI (9)(line honours) |
| TV partner(s) | Nine Network |
| Website | rolexsydneyhobart |
TheSydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annualoceanicyacht racing event hosted by theCruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting inSydney,New South Wales, onBoxing Day and finishing inHobart,Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).[1] The race is run in conjunction with theRoyal Yacht Club of Tasmania, and is widely considered to be one of the most difficultyacht races in the world.[2]
The race was initially planned to be acruise by Peter Luke and some friends who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing; however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer,Captain John Illingworth, suggested it be made a race, the event was born. Since the inaugural race in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has grown over the decades to become one of the top three offshore yacht races in the world,[citation needed] and it now attractsmaxi yachts from all around the globe. The 2025 race was the 80th edition.[3]
Australia's foremost offshore sailing prize is The George AdamsTattersall Cup, awarded to the ultimate winner of thehandicap competition based on the length, shape, weight and sail dimensions of the yacht. Much public attention however, focuses on the race for "line honours" – the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largestMaxi yacht in the fleet.
Along with theNewport-Bermuda Race and theFastnet Race, it is considered one of the classic big offshore races with each distance approximately 625 nautical miles (719 mi; 1,158 km).
In 2017,LDV Comanche set a new race record finishing in 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, beatingPerpetual Loyal's record of 1 day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds, set the previous year.[4]Wild Oats XI, who crossed the line first, received a 1-hour penalty for her role in a near-miss collision at the beginning of the race and disregard of the starboard rule, handingLDV Comanche line honours.[5]Wild Oats XI completed the course in an unofficial record time of 1 day, 08 hours, 48 minutes and 50 seconds.
Wild Oats XI has won line honours on 9 separate occasions (2005–2008, 2010, 2012–2014, 2018) and is the first boat to have claimed the treble – race record,line honours and overall winner.[6]
TheBass Strait, and the waters of thePacific Ocean immediately to its east are renowned for their high winds and difficult seas. Although the race mostly takes place in theTasman Sea, the shallowness of Bass Strait and the proximity to the race course means that the fleet is very much under the influence of the Strait as they transit from the mainland toFlinders Island. Even though the race is held in the Australian summer,southerly buster storms often make the Sydney–Hobart race cold, bumpy, and very challenging for the crew. It is typical for a considerable number of yachts to retire, often atEden on the New South Wales south coast, the last sheltered harbour before Flinders Island.
The first Sydney to Hobart race was held in1945. The race was initially planned to be a cruise by Peter Luke and some friends who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing; however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, CaptainJohn Illingworth, suggested it be made a race, the event was born.[7] The inaugural race had nine starters, including theKathleen Gillett, captained by renowned marine artistJack Earl.[8] John Illingworth'sRani, built atSpeers Point was the winner, taking six days, 14 hours and 22 minutes.[9] Race records for the fastest (elapsed) time dropped rapidly. However, it took 21 years for the 1975 record byKialoa from the United States to be broken by the German yachtMorning Glory in 1996, and then only by a dramatic 29 minutes, as she tacked up theRiver Derwent against the clock. In 1999 Denmark'sNokia sailed the course in one day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and two seconds, a record which stood until 2005 whenWild Oats XI wonline and handicap honours in 1 day 18 hr 40 min 10 sec.
There have been some notable achievements by yachts over the years. Sydney yacht,Morna, won thesecond,third andfourth races (1946–1948) and then, under new owners Frank and John Livingston fromVictoria, took a further four titles asKurrewa IV in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1960. Other yachts to win three or more titles are Astor (1961, 1963 and 1964) andBumblebee IV firstly in 1979 and then again in 1988 and 1990 asRagamuffin. WhenWild Oats XI won back-to-back titles in 2006, it was the first yacht to do so sinceAstor in the 1960s.[10]Wild Oats XI claimed its third consecutive line honours title in the2007 race, re-writing history by being only the second yacht afterRani in the inaugural 1945 race to win line and handicap honours and break the race record in the same year (2005) and then only the second yacht afterMorna to win three line honours titles in a row. In2008,Wild Oats XI brokeMorna's long-standing record of three titles in a row, by completing a four-in-a-row, the first yacht to achieve that remarkable achievement.[11]For the handicap race the highly respected Halvorsen brothers'Freya won three titles back-to-back (the only yacht in history to do so) between 1963 and 1965. Although not consecutive,Love & War equalledFreya's three titles by winning its third in 2006 to add to its 1974 and 1978 titles.
In the 1994 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the making waves foundation's crew were the first fully disabled team to compete in an ocean race and Australian Paralympic sitting volleyball playerAlbert Lee was a part of this team.[12]
The1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was marred by tragedy when, during an exceptionally strong storm (which had similar strength winds to a lower-categoryhurricane), five boats sank and six people died. Of the 115 boats that started, only 44 made it to Hobart. As a result, the crew eligibility rules were tightened, requiring a higher minimum age and experience. G. Bruce Knecht wrote a book about this race,The Proving Ground.[13] A coronial enquiry into the race was critical of both the race management at the time and theBureau of Meteorology.[14]
In 1999 the race record was broken byNokia, a water-ballastedVolvo Ocean 60 (VO60) yacht. She sailed the course in 1 day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and 2 seconds.Brindabella reached Hobart just under one hour later (1 day, 20 hours, 46 minutes, 33 seconds) andWild Thing was a close third (1 day, 21 hours, 13 minutes, 37 seconds). The previous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race record had been set byMorning Glory (2 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds) in 1996.[15]
In 2004 only 59 yachts completed the course of the 116 who set out from Sydney. Storms hit the race. The super maxiSkandia capsized after losing her keel.[16] In 2005,Wild Oats XI became the first boat sinceRani to win the "treble", taking Line Honours, winning the Corrected Handicap (IRC), and breaking the course record. (1d 18h 40 m 10s, over 1hr off ofNokia's record.)
In 1982Condor of Burmuda won the Sydney to Hobart (1981) which was the closest ever finish, winning by just seven seconds againstApollo III during a gruelling match race up the River Derwent.
In 2006, 78 boats started the race, including entrants from the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, every Australian state and theAustralian Capital Territory. The race started on schedule at 13:00Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time.[17]Wild Oats XI, owned byBob Oatley and skippered byMark Richards, crossed the finish line at 21:52 on 28 December 2006 to take line honours with an elapsed time of 2 days, 8 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds.[10]Wild Oats XI became the first yacht to win the race in consecutive years since 1964 and only the sixth yacht to achieve this since the race's inception.Love & War, owned by Peter Kurts and skippered byLindsay May, won the race overall (IRC Handicap) in a corrected time of 3 days, 22 hours 2 minutes and 37 seconds.Love & War became only the second yacht to win the race three times (1974, 1978 and 2006). The yachtFreya won the race in three consecutive years between 1963 and 1965.Gillawa from theAustralian Capital Territory, skippered by David Kent, was the sixty-ninth and last boat to complete the 2006 race, making it the third consecutive year that the yacht was last in the fleet.[10]
The longest surviving skipper from the inaugural race, Peter Luke, who contributed to the formation of theCruising Yacht Club of Australia and the establishment of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, died on 23 September 2007 aged 92. His yacht,Wayfarer, still holds the record for the slowest elapsed time. One of two surviving sailors from the original race – Geoffrey Ruggles from theWayfarer crew, died in July 2019,[18] leaving John Gordon from theHorizon crew.[19][unreliable source?]
By the November 2007 race entry deadline, 90 yachts had nominated for entry including four 90-foot maxis, three of them wanting to preventWild Oats XI creating history and winning three line honours titles in a row. A little over a week prior to the race, New Zealand maxiMaximus withdrew after cracking its keel. Three-time and 2006 handicap winner, Love & War, was not one of the applications for entry and may have raced her last Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 2006.Wild Oats XI went on to create history by winning its third consecutive line honours title and becoming only the second yacht to do so.[11]Rosebud (USA) won the race on corrected time. John Walker became the oldest skipper in the history of the race at age 85, and Phillip's FooteWitchdoctor bettered its own record and set a mark of 27 races as the most by a yacht.[11]
On 3 November 2008 at the close of entries, 113 yachts had nominated for entry with only one other 90-foot maxi(Skandia) to challengeWild Oats XI and stop it creating history by winning four consecutive line honours titles and becoming the only yacht to do so.Wild Oats XI achieved this and Bob Steel won his second Tattersall Cup withQuest, the second yacht with the same name to win the handicap title.[11][20]
The 2009 fleet comprised 99 starters. In the 2008 race,Wild Oats XI had equalledMorna/Kurrewa IV's record of three consecutive line honours victories, whichMorna achieved in 1946, 1947 and 1948, and was attempting to pass the record in its own right in 2009.
In the event however,Neville Crichton's New Zealand entryAlpha Romeo II passedWild Oats XI early on and never relinquished her lead, finishing in an elapsed time of 2 days, 9 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds.Wild Oats XI came in second and United Kingdom-basedICAP Leopard came in third.
Sailors who have achieved outstanding commitment to the race are represented most of all by John Bennetto (dec), Lou Abrahams and Tony Cable who, after the 2007 race, had each sailed 44 races. Skippers Frank and John Livingston won four line honours titles while Claude Plowman,Peter Warner, S.A "Huey" Long, Jim Kilroy and Bob Bell have each won three. Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen have won four handicap honours titles while a number of skippers have won two handicap titles.
Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the race since 2002, and since then the race has been known as theRolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Traditionally, crews of yachts celebrate on New Year's Eve atConstitution Dock in Hobart, with the Customs House Hotel a favourite venue for Sydney–Hobart yachtsmen.
The 2020 race was cancelled due to an outbreak ofCOVID-19 in Sydney's north. The Cruising Yacht Club said it was "unrealistic" to proceed with the race after the Tasmanian government declared Greater Sydney a "medium-risk" zone, requiring all participants to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Tasmania. It was the first time the race was not conducted in its 76-year history.[21]
2020 saw the introduction of a two-handed division[22] (only two crew members permitted) with its own trophy, the Two-Handed IRC Trophy. Due to the race being cancelled in 2020, the first two-handed entrants competed in the 2021 race.
The death of two sailors in separate incidents during the 2024 race (the first deaths since 1998) has led some to argue for a review of the race's safety protocols.[23]
Min River won the 2025 race on corrected time. It was the first two-handed yacht to win, and the first winning yacht to have a woman skipper, Chinese-Australian owner Jiang Lin (it also had a male skipper, Frenchman Alexis Loison.)[24]
With the smashing of the Sydney–Hobart Race record in 1999 by Nokia—and a host of other super-fast boats that completed the course in less than two days for the first time—the "Holy Grail" of the Sydney–Hobart race, a completion of the course in a time under the 40-hour mark, became a possibility. Many of the skippers competing in the Sydney–Hobart race in the 21st century have expressed a desire to be the first to record a time under the once thought of as impossible mark of 40 hours. In 2017, this goal was met when the race record was set by LDV Comanche to 33 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.[25]
Comanche won again in 2019 and 2022 without breaking the 40-hour mark. In 2024, she was in the lead but retired when the mast broke.LawConnect took line honours with a time of 37 hours, 35 minutes, 13 seconds, breaking the 40-hour mark but not breaking Comanche's record.
Women first participated in the race in 1946. The first woman to take part wasJane Tate, whose boatActive was the only one to reach Hobart in 1946. Dagmar O'Brien, with boatConnella, also took part in that year but retired from the race before finishing. Thus, the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the first femaleskipper to complete the race.
In 1975, the first all-women crew sailed was the boatBarbarian, skippered by Vicki Willman of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club.[26]
In 1996, Kathy Collingridge crewed onOne Time Sidewinder. She was the first Indigenous woman to take part in the race.[27]
Since then up to 2021, there have been another 12. The following is the list of all female crews to compete:
| No. | Year | Boat | Other name | Club | Sail no. | Skipper | Navigator |
| 1 | 1975 | Barbarian | Barbarian | MHYC | MH260 | Vicki Willman | Sheila Beach |
| 2 | 1989 | Belles Long Ranger | Otaga | CYCA | 1170 | Christine Evans (WoW) | Beth Higgs (2) |
| 3 | 1992 | Ella Bache | Beyond Thunderdome | MHYC | 5500 | Adrienne Cahalan (2) | |
| 3 | 1992 | Nadia IV | Nadia IV | RSYS | 4040 | Kerry Goudge (4) (WoW) | |
| 5 | 1993 | Telecom MobileNet | Nadia IV | CYCA | 4040 | Kerry Goudge (5) (WoW) | |
| 6 | 1994 | Telecom MobileNet | Nadia IV | CYCA | 4040 | Kerry Goudge (6) (WoW) | |
| 6 | 1994 | Brightstone, NZL | RNZYS | NZL 83 | Teresa Borrell | ||
| 6 | 1994 | Qantas NZ | Outward Bound | BBYC | NZL 4525 | Gayle Melrose (2) | |
| 9 | 1995 | WOW Nortel | Nadia IV | CYCA | 4040 | Kerry Goudge (7) (WoW) | |
| 10 | 1995 | Mortgage Choice | Cape Fear | CYCA | 5406 | Amanda Wilmot (7) | |
| 11 | 2001 | Amer Sports Too | Costa Smeralda | Lisa McDonald (USA/GBR) | Genevieve White (AUS) | ||
| 12 | 2017 | Climate Action Now | CYCA | N11 | Lisa Blair | Libby Greenhalgh | |
| 13 | 2018 | Wild Oats X | HIYC | 7001 | Stacey Jackson (11) | Elizabeth Greenhalgh (1) |
In 2005, 24 women took part, includingAdrienne Cahalan, who is famed for her around-the-world sailing, has been nominated several times for World Yachtswoman of the Year[28] and was Australian Yachtswoman of the Year for 2004–05. In 2005 she was part of the crew for the winningWild Oats.
In 2011,Jessica Watson, known for her solo unassisted sail around the world at age 16, skippered the Sydney Hobart yacht race with a crew of six other young Australians and three Britons all aged 21 or under, making them some of the youngest ever to compete in the blue water classic.
In 2018, skippered by Stacey Jackson, Ocean Respect Racing (on Wild Oats X) became the first fully professional all women's crew to compete in the Sydney Hobart.[29]
In 2022, Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham, whom had met on Kerry Goudge's Nadia IV in 1993,[30] raced Currawong to the finish line, becoming the first all women's crew to complete the race in the Two-Handed division.[31]
Min River won the 2025 race on corrected time; it was the first winning yacht to have a woman skipper, Chinese-Australian owner Jiang Lin (it also had a male skipper, Frenchman Alexis Loison.)[24]
In total, over a thousand women have taken part in the race.[32]
The exact rules for the Tattersall Cup have changed over the years. In general, each boat's time is adjusted on the expected speed of the boat based on its size and other characteristics. TheInternational Offshore Rules were superseded by theInternational Measurement System (IMS), and theIRC. For 1991, 1992 & 1993 races, the winners of the IOR and IMS categories were both declared Overall winners during the transition from IOR to IMS. However, the Tattersall Cup was awarded only to the Overall IOR winner during this period. Since 1994 there has been only one Overall winner, from 1994 to 2003 being decided using IMS, but from the 2004 onwards the Overall winner of the Tattersall Cup has been decided using IRC, with IMS dropped altogether as a handicap system.[33] In theory, this should make for an even competition between yachts of all sizes, however in practice often only the newest and most advanced boats (regardless of size) can sail fast relative to their rating. In addition, in a race of the length of the Sydney–Hobart weather conditions after the maxi yachts have finished can often determine whether they will win on handicap – if the winds become more favourable after they finish, they will lose on handicap, if they become less favourable they will win.
The race is conducted under theRacing Rules of Sailing determined and published by theInternational Sailing Federation. For the 2005 race, the event organisers removed certain restrictions on the boats. As successful sailing is based on a good power-to-weight ratio, larger sails are expected to help break race records.
2020 saw the introduction of a two-handed division[34] (only two crew members permitted) with its own trophy, the Two-Handed IRC Trophy.
Due to the race being cancelled in 2020, the first two-handed entrants competed in the 2021 race, which attracted 18 entrants.[35] Two-handed yachts were not included in the Tattersall Cup because organisers could not establish an equitable handicap due to two-handed yachts’ use of autopilots.[36]
In 2021 rough conditions meant that just seven two handers made it through the first night, with the others retiring at port.[37] The first two-handed category was won by Disko Trooper-Contender Sailcloth, a J/99.[38]
In 2022, two-handed yachts were allowed to contend for the Tattersall Cup.[39] There were 22 entries making it the fastest growing section of the race.[35] The 2022 2-handed IRC was won by 'Mistral', a Lombard 34. 'Mistral' finished 29th in the Tattersall Cup.[40] By 2023, two-handed entries comprised 17.5% of the total fleet.[41]
Min River won the 2025 race on corrected time. It was the first two-handed yacht to win the entire race, as well as the first winning yacht to have a woman skipper, Chinese-Australian owner Jiang Lin (it also had a male skipper, Frenchman Alexis Loison.)[24]
The fleet comprises mostlysloops; that is, yachts with a singlemast on which is hoisted afore-and-aft riggedmainsail and a singlejib orGenoa, plusextras such as aspinnaker.
The race has encouraged innovation in yacht design. Between 1945 and 2005, the most successful yacht designer has been the New Zealand designerBruce Farr, who has designed 15 overall winners.
| Year | Line honours | Elapsed time d/hh:mm:ss | Handicap winner | Corrected time d/hh:mm:ss | fleet size at start | at finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 |  Rani | 6/14:22 | Rani | 4/09:38 | 9 | 8 |
| 1946 |  Morna | 5/02:53:33 | Christina | 4/11:53:27 | 19 | 11 |
| 1947 | Morna | 5/03:03:54 |  Westward | 4/00:24:56 | 28 | 21 |
| 1948 | Morna | 4/05:01:21 | Westward | 3/07:45:48 | 18 | 13 |
| 1949 | Waltzing Matilda | 5/10:33:10 | Trade Winds | 3/23:39:43 | 15 | 13 |
| 1950 | Margaret Rintoul | 5/05:28:35 |  Nerida | 3/20:17:13 | 16 | 14 |
| 1951 | Margaret Rintoul | 4/02:29:01 | Struen Marie | 2/19:48:26 | 14 | 12 |
| 1952 | Nocturne | 6/02:34:47 | Ingrid | 4/09:56:18 | 17 | 17 |
| 1953 | Solveig IV | 5/07:12:50 | Ripple | 3/16:12:12 | 24 | 20 |
| 1954 |  Kurrewa IV (formerlyMorna) | 5:06:09:47 | Solveig IV | 3/17:58:01 | 17 | 15 |
| 1955 | Even | 4/18:13:14 | Moonbi | 3/09:21:05 | 17 | 16 |
| 1956 | Kurrewa IV (formerlyMorna) | 4:04:31:44 | Solo | 3/08:33:52 | 28 | 26 |
| 1957 | Kurrewa IV (formerlyMorna) | 3:18:30:39 | Anitra V | 3/00:55:37 | 20 | 18 |
| 1958 | Solo | 5/02:32:52 | Siandra | 3/13:46:35 | 22 | 19 |
| 1959 | Solo | 4/13:33:12 | Cherana | 3/08:33:02 | 30 | 24 |
| 1960 | Kurrewa IV (formerlyMorna) | 4:08:11:15 | Siandra | 3/07:48:04 | 32 | 30 |
| 1961 | Astor | 4/04:42:11 | Rival | 3/03:57:31 | 35 | 33 |
| 1962 |  Ondine | 3/03:49:16 | Solo | 2/12:45:14 | 42 | 40 |
| 1963 | Astor | 4/10:53:00 | Freya | 3/06:03:17 | 44 | 34 |
| 1964 | Astor | 3/20:05:05 | Freya | 3/05:58:14 | 38 | 31 |
| 1965 |  Stormvogel | 3/20:30:09 | Freya | 3/10:03:26 | 53 | 49 |
| 1966 |  Fidelis | 4/08:39:43 | Cadence | 4/02:46:24 | 46 | 44 |
| 1967 |  Pen Duick III | 4/04:10:31 | Rainbow II | 3/16:39:15 | 66 | 59 |
| 1968 | Ondine II | 4/03:20:02 | Koomooloo | 3/13:38:52 | 67 | 54 |
| 1969 | Crusade | 3/15:07:40 | Morning Cloud | 3/04:25:57 | 79 | 75 |
| 1970 | Buccaneer | 3/14:06:12 | Pacha | 3/10:07:39 | 61 | 47 |
| 1971 | Kialoa II | 3/12:46:21 | PathFinder | 3/03:14:34 | 79 | 76 |
| 1972 | American Eagle | 3/04:42:39 | American Eagle | 3/02:15:59 | 79 | 75 |
| 1973 | Helsal | 3/01:32:09 |  Ceil III | 2/17:28:28 | 92 | 92 |
| 1974 | Ondine III | 3/13:51:56 | Love & War | 3/13:25:02 | 63 | 58 |
| 1975 | Kialoa III | 2/14:36:56 |  Rampage | 2/13:16:56 | 102 | 99 |
| 1976 | Ballyhoo | 3/07:59:26 | Piccolo | 3/07:45:07 | 85 | 70 |
| 1977 | Kialoa III | 3/10:14:09 | Kialoa III | 3/13:58:10 | 131 | 72 |
| 1978 | Apollo | 4/02:23:24 | Love & War | 3/12:13:00 | 97 | 87 |
| 1979 | Bumblebee IV | 3/01:45:52 | Screw Loose | 3/03:31:06 | 147 | 142 |
| 1980 | New Zealand | 2/18:45:41 | New Zealand | 2/21:13:29 | 102 | 93 |
| 1981 | Vengeance | 3/22:30:00 | Zeus II | 3/19:25:59 | 159 | 144 |
| 1982 |  Condor of Bermuda | 3/00:59:17 | Scallywag | 2/19:19:16 | 118 | 108 |
| 1983 | Condor | 3/00:50:29 | Challenge II | 2/23:07:42 | 173 | 158 |
| 1984 | New Zealand | 3/11:31:21 | Indian Pacific | 3/07:45:03 | 151 | 46 |
| 1985 | Apollo | 3/04:32:28 | Sagacious | 3/04:34:37 | 179 | 146 |
| 1986 | Condor | 2/23:26:25 | Ex Tension | 3/01:14:30 | 123 | 106 |
| 1987 | Sovereign | 2/21:58:08 | Sovereign | 3/01:58:41 | 154 | 146 |
| 1988 | Ragamuffin (formerlyBumblebee IV) | 3/15:29:27 | Illusion | 3/18:20:35 | 119 | 81 |
| 1989 | Drumbeat | 3/06:21:34 | Challenge II | 3/02:18:45 | 126 | 101 |
| 1990 | Ragamuffin (formerlyBumblebee IV) | 2/21:05:33 | Sagacious V | 2/19:44:32 | 105 | 86 |
| 1991 |  Brindabella | 3/11:14:09 | She's Apples (IMS) Atara (IOR) | 3/15:19:20 2:20:05:11 | 99 | 91 |
| 1992 | New Zealand Endeavour | 2/19:19:18 | Assassin (IMS)Ragamuffin (IOR) | 3/10:50:11 2:21:21:04 | 110 | 102 |
| 1993 | Ninety Seven | 4/00:54:11 | Micropay Cuckoos Nest (IMS)Solbourne Wild Oats (IOR) | 3/18:45:10 3:20:36:30 | 104 | 38 |
| 1994 | Tasmania (formerlyNew Zealand Endeavour) | 2/16:48:04 |  Raptor (IMS) | 2/11:41:00 | 371 | 309 |
| 1995 | Sayonara | 3/00:53:35 | Terra Firma | 3/10:22:36 | 98 | 92 |
| 1996 | Morning Glory | 2/14:07:10 | Ausmaid | 2/12:35:59 | 95 | 77 |
| 1997 | Brindabella | 2/23:37:12 |  Beau Geste | 2/17:21:27 | 114 | 99 |
| 1998 | Sayonara | 2/19:03:32 | AFR Midnight Rambler | 2/12:36:23 | 115 | 44 |
| 1999 |  Nokia | 1/19:48:02 | Yendys | 1/20:32:53 | 79 | 49 |
| 2000 |  Nicorette II | 2/14:02:09 | SAP Ausmaid (formerlyAusmaid) | 2/19:13:38 | 82 | 58 |
| 2001 | Assa Abloy | 2/20:46:43 | Bumblebee V | 2/19:13:38 | 75 | 57 |
| 2002 | Alfa Romeo I | 2/04:58:52 | Quest | 2/19:13:38 | 57 | 55 |
| 2003 | Skandia | 2/15:14:06 | First National Real Estate | 3/14:14:17 | 56 | 52 |
| 2004 | Nicorette III | 2/16:00:44 | Aera (IRC) | 4/02:52:09 | 116 | 59 |
| 2005 | Wild Oats XI | 1/18:40:10 | Wild Oats XI | 3/03:54:32 | 85 | 80 |
| 2006 | Wild Oats XI | 2/08:52:33 | Love & War | 3/22:02:37 | 78 | 69 |
| 2007 | Wild Oats XI | 1/21:24:32 | Rosebud | 3/09:32:14 | 82 | 79 |
| 2008 | Wild Oats XI | 1/20:34:14 | Quest II | 2/17:43:32 | 100 | 92 |
| 2009 | Alfa Romeo II | 2/09:02:10 | Two True | 4/07:57:43 | 100 | 94 |
| 2010 | Wild Oats XI | 2/07:37:20 | Secret Men's Business 3.5 | 4/01:29:40 | 87 | 69 |
| 2011 | Investec Loyal | 2/06:14:18 | Loki | 3/22:34:32 | 88 | 76 |
| 2012 | Wild Oats XI | 1/18:23:12 | Wild Oats XI | 3/10:26:31 | 76 | 71 |
| 2013 | Wild Oats XI | 2/06:07:27 | Victoire | 3/18:27:43 | 94 | 84 |
| 2014 | Wild Oats XI | 2/02:30:00 | Wild Rose (formerlySolbourne Wild Oats) | 3/07:04:43 | 117 | 103 |
| 2015 | Comanche | 2/08:58:30 | Balance V (formerlyQuest II) | 4/07:27:13 | 108 | 77 |
| 2016 | Perpetual Loyal | 1/13:31:20 | Giacomo | 2/16:13:37 | 88 | 83 |
| 2017 |  LDV Comanche | 1/09:15:24 | Ichi Ban | 2/12:13:31 | 102 | 96 |
| 2018[43] | Wild Oats XI | 1/19:07:21 | Alive | 3/06:41:16 | 85 | 79 |
| 2019[44] | Comanche | 1/18:30:24 | Ichi Ban | 3/04:11:05 | 157 | 154[45] |
| 2020 | Race cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21] | |||||
| 2021[46] |  Black Jack | 2/12:37:17 | Ichi Ban | 4/10:17:39 | 88 | 50[45] |
| 2022 | Andoo Comanche[47] | 1/11:56:48 | Celestial[48] | 2/16:35:26 | 109 | 100 |
| 2023 | LawConnect[49] | 1/19:03:58 | Alive[50] | 3/07:48:14 | 103 | 85 |
| 2024 | LawConnect | 1/13:35:13 | Celestial V70 | 2/16:40:38 | 104 | 74 |
| 2025 | Master Lock Comanche | 2/05:03:36 | Min River | 4/01:56:09 | 128 | 93 |
Notes:
Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the race since 2002.[53] Other sponsors of the race includeAppliances Online,Nortel[54] andTasPorts.[55]
It generally costs each of the major contenders for line honours millions of dollars to equip themselves for the race; however, there is no prize money. The only official award is a Rolex watch from the race sponsor for the fastest and handicap-winning yacht captains. Entrants compete purely for the honour of the title. That being said, costs are almost always offset by sponsors.
The overall (handicap) winner on corrected time is awarded The George Adams Tattersall Cup, first awarded to the winner of the 1946 race (and retrospectively to the 1945 winner).[56]
Among the other trophies awarded during the race are the J. H. Illingworth Challenge Cup for the line honours boat and the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy for the first female skipper.[57]
The race features in the 2007 novelThe Storm Prophet by Hector Macdonald.
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