The winner of the overall trophy, the Tattersall Cup, will not be known for 24 hours as the backmarkers in the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, try to make their deadline time and win the prestigious trophy.

Celestial, the yacht which has lead on rating for most of the 628nm race, drifted across the finish line off Hobart around dawn on Monday in near calm conditions. The Sam Hayne skippered entry finished just over a minute inside her deadline, to head off Lucky (USA).

The next yacht that can beat Celestial is the New Zealand entry Callisto (Jim Murray) which must finish before 2.51pm on Monday afternoon. However at 1130hrs local time she had 30nm to sail to reach the finish and was becalmed under Cape Raoul, and was overtaken by the Marten72 Aragon (NED). Sailing with highly experienced navigator Adrienne Callaghan, a veteran of 30 Sydney Hobarts, the Dutch yacht sailed wide of Callisto avoiding the notorious calms of “The Organ Pipes” on the tip of Cape Raoul.

 Sam Haynes at the wheel of Celestial V70 © Bow Caddy Media

Boats ahead and behind were both carrying the breeze, as did Celestial last night and looked certain to easily make her time, and seal her second successive trophy win. But as the sea breeze faded and with no land breeze coming in with the lower night temperature, the Volvo 70 was very fortunate to beat Lucky, who was the fourth to finish yesterday evening.

Celestial’s woes will be repeated throughout the remaining yachts in the fleet, who are all making good time in the prevailing breeze, but almost all will have another windless night, and maybe two to negotiate – until the last deadline of 4.00am on Thursday morning has expired.

Love and War in the 2024 Sydney Hobart – photo © Bow Caddy Media

One of the top boats on the basis of calculated overall placings, based on estimated finish times is the 52yr old veteran Love and War (Simon Kurt), the S&S 47fter launched in 1973, is a three time winner of the Tattersall Trophy. The wooden yacht, built by top Australian boatbuilder of the era, Ces Quilkey, for Simon’s father Peter Kurts, Love and War sailed for Australia in the 1975 Admirals Cup, in Cowes. If she can win in 2025, Love and War will become the first yacht to become a four-time winner of the Tattersall Cup.

Retirements List as at 0800hrs AEDT:

• Ambition – Retired – hull damage
• Avalanche (DH) – Retired – battery charging issues
• Awen – Retired – broken forestay
• Chancellor – Retired – steering damage
• Coastwatcher – Retired – medical incident
• Hutchies Yeah Baby – Retired – headstay damage
• Inukshuk (DH) – Retired – rudder issues
• Koa – Retired – headstay foil issues
• Kraken 42S – Retired – crew injury and electrical issues
• Le Tiroflan – Retired – forestay damage
• Loch Sloidh 3 – Retired – skippers discretion
• Maritimo 100 – Retired – electrical issues
• Maritimo Katwinchar – Retired – skipper’s discretion
• Mazu Denali’s Little Helper – Retired – battery issues
• Minerva – Retired – engine issues
• Mistral (DH) – Retired – crew injury
• Moneypenny – Retired – equipment issues
• Mudgee Concrete – Retired – rigging issues
• Ocean Crusaders J-Bird – Retired – minor hull damage
• Philosopher – Retired – seasickness
• Ragtime – Retired – equipment issues
• Roaring Forty (DH) – Retired – seasickness
• Silver Fern – Retired – seasickness
• Titoki (DH) – Retired – rigging issues
• Troubadour – Retired – seasickness
• Trouble & Strife – Retired – engine issues
• Unicoin – Retired – pulpit damage
• URM Group – Retired – hull damage
• V5 – Retired – keel damage
• Vixen Racing – Retired – crew injury
• White Noise – Retired – rigging issues.
• Wild Thing 100 – Retired – rigging issues
• Wine-Dark Sea – Retired – equipment issues
• Wots Next – Retired – minor crew injuries

by Richard Gladwell