More than 20 of Australia’s most famous classic yachts have already entered for the 2019 Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta that will begin a month of celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
To be held over two days on the weekend of December 7-8, the regatta was created to celebrate the heritage of the Great Race. It will feature former handicap and line-honors winners, in addition to many of the classic yachts that helped build the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race into one of the premier offshore events on the world sailing calendar.
The unique fleet includes Anne Lawrence’s Solveig, overall winner in 1954, Simon Kurt’s Love & War which won overall in 1974, 1978 and 2006, Nigel Stoke’s elegant 61-footer Fidelis which was first yacht home in 1966 and Patrick Broughton’s Kialoa II which claimed line honors in 1971.
One of the best-known yachts taking part will be David Champtaloup’s Caprice of Huon. Although this handsome 45-foot sloop never won the Sydney Hobart race (she came 2nd in 1972), Caprice was the hero of Australia’s initial challenge for the Admiral’s Cup in 1965, winning the first three races.