Defending Overall winner Jiang Lin returns, while four 100-foot maxis prepare to contest Line Honours. The entry list also features 18 double-handed teams and 13 women owner/skippers.
The fleet for the 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is confirmed, with entries now closed for the 81st edition. A total of 107 yachts are set to start from Sydney Harbour on 26 December for the 628-nautical-mile race south to Hobart.
The fleet, announced by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), brings together former Line Honours and Overall winners, experienced offshore campaigners, emerging talent and Corinthian sailors. Eight international yachts and 18 double-handed entries are among those preparing for the annual Boxing Day start.
Last year’s Overall winner Jiang Lin returns aboard her new JPK 10.50, Min River, alongside co-skipper Alexis Loison. Lin is aiming to become the first competitor to secure back-to-back Overall victories following her history-making win in 2025, when she became the first woman and the first double-handed entry to win the Tattersall Cup.
Lin said she had not set out to win the Tattersall Cup last year and would approach the new race with the same focus on doing her best and enjoying the experience.
“Just because we won last year doesn’t mean we’ll win it again – it’s a new race and anything can happen,” she said.
Lin added that she and Loison had enjoyed sailing together the previous year and had made wonderful memories. She hopes to recreate that feeling this time. The opportunity to purchase a JPK 10.50 came up while she was in France, she said, and she could not resist it.
“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,” Lin said.
Four 100-Foot Maxis Set for Line Honours
Four 100-foot maxis will contest Line Honours, awarded to the first yacht to cross the finish line in Hobart: Christian Beck’s LawConnect, Anthony Bell’s Loyal, Mark Richards’ Palm Beach XI and Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing 100.
Three of the four contenders have previously won the Illingworth Challenge Cup. The fleet will have an opportunity to test its form at the 2026 Australian Maxi Championship, running from 4–8 December, before attention turns to the Rolex Sydney Hobart start on Boxing Day.
Matt Allen, the 2025 Line Honours winner and a four-time Overall winner, also returns aboard Ichi Ban. The entry highlights include Celestial V70, the 2024 Overall winner.
The Tasmanian R/P66 Alive returns with Duncan Hines at the helm and renowned navigator Adrienne Cahalan aboard. A two-time Overall winner, Alive claimed the Tattersall Cup in 2018 and 2023.
Three-time Overall winner Love & War is also back. The veteran classic finished third Overall last year and will seek to add another chapter to its long Sydney Hobart history.
The fleet also includes Back 2 Black, Sean Langman’s G/P42 and the Overall winner of the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The yacht is also an Admirals Cup contender.
Five TP52s are expected to add depth to the Overall handicap contest, including Sebastian Bohm’s Smuggler and David Doherty’s Islero, formerly known as Caro.
Double-Handed Teams and Women Owner/Skippers
The 18 double-handed entries include Jiang Lin’s Min River, Rupert Henry’s Mistral and Jules Hall’s Disko Trooper, reflecting the strength of the division within the fleet.
Thirteen women owner/skippers are also listed, including Elizabeth Tucker’s First Light, which will compete double-handed this year.
The Tattersall Cup Remains Open
While the Line Honours contest is one of the race’s major storylines, the battle for the Tattersall Cup, awarded to the Overall winner on IRC handicap, remains wide open.
Jiang Lin’s 2025 victory demonstrated that determination, teamwork and tactics can overcome the largest boats in the fleet. Her return adds further interest to the Overall contest, as competitors prepare for one of the world’s best-known offshore races.
For CYCA Commodore David Jacobs, the Rolex Sydney Hobart represents much more than competition on the water. He described it as a test of offshore sailing, a spirit of adventure and the camaraderie of working together to reach 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,” Jacobs said.
He highlighted the connection between competitors and the communities that support them, noting that thousands of spectators line Sydney Harbour to farewell the fleet and that sailors arriving in Hobart are welcomed like heroes after completing the demanding race.
“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,” Jacobs said.
The start of the 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart will be broadcast live across Australia on Channel Nine and streamed globally on the race website and through CYCA’s YouTube channel, CYCATV.
The race starts on Sydney Harbour on 26 December and covers 628 nautical miles south to Hobart.
