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Follow all the action from the Cabbage Tree Island Race with live updates, leaderboard changes, and insights from the fleet as they navigate the course.
Race Update | Sunday 7 December, 1700 hours (48 hours after the start)
After just under 48 hours on the racecourse, Robert Griffits’ S&S 39 Millennium Falcon has become the 65th and final yacht to cross the finish line of the 2025 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Cabbage Tree Island Race — congratulations to the crew.
And a big congratulations to the divisional winners of the 2025 Cabbage Tree Island Race.
Race Update | Sunday 7 December, 1200 hours (1 day 19 hours after the start)
All but one yacht has now completed the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore (ACSBWPS) Cabbage Tree Island Race.
Robert Griffits’ S&S 39 Millennium Falcon is the last yacht on the race course with 20-plus nautical miles to go until the Watsons Bay finish line.
Among the most recent finishers is the oldest yacht in the fleet, the 121-year-old Maritimo Katwinchar, helmed by Michael Spies. The 33-footer crossed the line at 0942 hours this morning.
Mark Ayto’s S&S 34 Western Morning followed shortly after at 1053 hours. Both Maritimo Katwinchar and Western Morning will compete in the Grand Veterans Division (for yachts launched prior to 1976) in the upcoming 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The latest yacht to finish is the Double-Handed entry Titoki, a Farr 11.6 co-skippered by Frances Beaumont and Tim Binns. This marks their first completed ACSBWPS race of the season after being forced to retire from November’s Bird Island Race.
We’ll be back later with an update on Millennium Falcon once they complete the 2025 ACSBWPS Cabbage Tree Island Race.
Western Morning just completed the Cabbage Tree Island Race. Image: CYCA / Andrea Francolini
Race Update | Sunday 7 December, 1130 hours (1 day 18.5 hours after the start)
Maritimo Katwinchar and Western Morning have now completed the course, leaving Titoki and Millenium Falcon as the only yachts still to complete the 2025 Cabbage Tree Island Race.
The 121-year-old Bill Barry-Cotter owned, and Michael Spies skippered, Maritimo Katwinchar, crossed the finish line at 0942 hours, while Mark Ayto’s Western Morning finished up at 1053 hours.
Titoki is currently approaching he line, with Millenium Falcon just over 25 nautical miles from home and projected to finish early this evening.
In the meantime, it’s time to check out the provisional standings in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore after the Cabbage Tree Island Race, where URM Group lead IRC and Le Tiroflan PHS. The standings are here.
Race Update | Sunday 7 December, 0700 hours (38 hours after the start)
Good morning! We now have 62 yachts across the finish line in the 2025 Cabbage Tree Island Race, with just four - Maritimo Katwinchar, Western Morning, the Double Hander Titoki and Millennium Falcon (pictured) still out on the racecourse.
Now that most of the fleet have returned to shore and enjoyed a meal and some refreshments at the CYCA, the provisional winners have become clear.
We knew from early yesterday that Master Lock Comanche had taken Line Honours.
Let’s take a look at others to provisionally be declared winners and placegetters:
• Dr Sam Haynes’ Celestial V70 has taken out the Overall IRC from Ronald Epstein’s Bacchanal and Love & War (Simon Kurts), with the latter two sensationally separated by just one minute and 22 seconds on corrected time
• Celestial V70 also claimed IRC Division 1 ahead of Master Lock Comanche and Sean Langman’s Back 2 Black, which was making her Australian offshore debut
• IRC Division 2 saw Joe de Kock’s KD1 finish behind Bacchanal and Love & War.
• In the Overall PHS was dominated by Division 2 contestants with Peter Vanderwal & Shane Diethelm’s Sumatra heading off Chris Taylor’s Le Tiroflan and Double Hander Toucan (Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews)
• PHS Division1’s podium featured Damien King’s MRV, Chris & Lachlan Dare’s Tasmanian entry Ambition and Edward Cox’s Minerva
• MRV has also won the IRC Corinthian from Supernova (Alex Seja & Felicity Nelson) and Kanreki (Michael Rowe & Ben Martin)
• Jiang Lin and Jan Scholten got Min River home in the Wild Rose Corinthian Division, from Kanreki and Mondo (Lisa Callaghan/Stephen Teudt)
• In what was a thriller throughout for the Double Handers, the same three yachts claimed the top three spots in IRC and PHS – Toucan, Min River and Pacman with Peter Elkington and Scott Cavanough aboard. Amazingly, Toucan’s corrected time advantage over Min River was just two minutes and 48 seconds
Since our last update at 2000 hours last night, Freyja (rig damage) and Chancellor (sail damage) retired from the race.
Race Update | Saturday 6 December 2000 hours (27 hours after the start)
23 yachts have now crossed the finish line, and so far, nobody has managed to better Celestial V70’s corrected time.
Dr Sam Haynes’ Celestial V70 is shaping up as the favourite for Overall IRC but all eyes are still on the remaining competitors and particularly the Double Handed fleet, where the racing is just as fierce.
It’s also a good moment to shine a light on a few competitors whose yachts, despite their age or size, are as good a competitor as any.
Love & War on the left and Crux on the right - Credit: CYCA | Andrea Francolini
First up, Love & War. With three Hobart Overall victories under her belt, she’s no stranger to a podium. At this stage of the race, she’s fighting hard to cling to second place overall on IRC.
The second is Crux, an S&S 34 co-skippered by Carlos Aydos and Peter Grayson. This yacht loves a stronger breeze, is undeniably reliable, and proves her worth race after race.
She’s currently sitting: Third overall on IRC, second on IRC Div 2, second PHS Overall, second PHS Div 2… (and we’re not done yet) first IRC Corinthian, and first in both IRC and PHS Double Handed.
With around 35 nautical miles to the finish and speeds up to 10 knots, it looks like Crux will make short work of the racecourse.
The afternoon saw two competitors retire: Luna Blue due to a damaged main and Jupiter due to gear failure.
Race Update | Saturday 6 December 1530 hours (22.5 hours after the start)
Since our last update at 1300 hours, David Gotze’s Reichel Pugh 63 No Limit is the only other yacht to have crossed the line, following the six earlier finishers.
Dr Sam Haynes’ Celestial V70 looks more and more likely to take the Overall IRC but right now there’s plenty of interest in the Double Handed fleet.
As has been the case for the best part of 20 hours, Verite and Toucan (pictured below left and right respectively) are slugging it out at the front of the IRC race, changing places on the standings regularly.
Throw in The Gaffer, Min River, Jupiter, Beautemps, Crux and Pacman, who is leading the Double Handers Line Honours charge, and this race is producing the goods.
Images: Verite on the left & Toucan on the right
In the PHS standings, it’s Verite, The Gaffer and Toucan, but again there’s plenty of others still in contention.
Verite’s Paul Beath said he and Tony Craner were relishing the challenge amongst the Double Handed fleet.
“Verite had a good night in cooler conditions and a full moon, but with wind up and down, keeping the boat going in the choppy seaway took a lot of concentration,” Beath said.
“Since first light we’ve been battling Toucan, who’s always been in sight, keeping Tony and I on our metal.
“It’s Tony and my first race together and now we are trying to chase down Toucan in the strengthening NE’er and fend off Min River. Exciting times ahead!”
In IRC Division 2 Love & War are maintaining their position at the top of the standings from KD1 and a bunch of the Double Handers.
In Overall PHS, Gordon Smith’s Farr 43 Wild Oats has usurped SHK Scallywag 100, with Peter Vanderwal & Shane Diethelm’s Swan 48 Sumatra currently third. Watch for this race to oscillate between a handful of contenders into the late afternoon and evening.
In PHS Division 2 it’s Wild Oats, Sumatra and Le Tiroflan, but like the other Divisions, positions are fluid.
MRV remains out in front in IRC Corinthian, while Ragtime still leads Wild Rose IRC.
Our updates will continue into the early evening.
Race Update | Saturday 6 December 1300 hours (20 hours after the start)
It’s been a busy three hours since our last update in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore’s Cabbage Tree Island Race.
Six yachts – Master Lock Comanche and fellow 100ft Maxis LawConnect and SHK Scallywag 100, along with Celestial V70, URM Group and Moneypenny have crossed the finish line.
Celestial V70 was fourth across the line and is in the box seat to add the Cabbage Tree Island Race Overall title to the Overall crown they won in the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart, but they may have to wait much of the day to see how the remaining fleet fares on the way back to Sydney.
Master Lock Comanche are holding onto second in IRC from URM Group, who came into the race leading the Overall Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore standings and overcame a false start last night to surge back through the field.
Skipper Marcus Ashley-Jones’ revealed from the helm on the leg back to Sydney that URM Group had made the strategic decision to stay in touch with their direct competitors for the Blue Water Pointscore and the Australian Maxi Championship, which meant choosing a slightly more inshore route.
It’s been even busier at the other end of the course too, with 20 yachts making the turn at Cabbage Tree Island, north of Port Stephens, in the last 90 minutes alone. Nine are still to reach the turnaround.
The first Double Handed entry to make the turn was Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews aboard Toucan, followed by Verite, Beautemps and Pacman.
Crux marginally leads Toucan and The Gaffer in both the Double Handed IRC and PHS standings at this point, with a host of others also in contention with plenty of sailing left to decide the winners.
In IRC Division 2 Love & War are maintaining their position at the top of the standings but behind them the positions are changing seemingly by the minute with KD1 and Crux next after 20 hours on the water.
The Overall PHS top three is still SHK Scallywag 100, Celestial V70 and Master Lock Comanche, but things could still change as the rest of the fleet filters south.
In PHS Division 2 it’s Cyan Moon, Wild Oats and then Ragtime, but like the other Divisions, positions are fluid.
MRV remains out in front in IRC Corinthian, while Ragtime now leads Wild Rose IRC.
Our updates will continue throughout the day.
Race Update | Saturday 6 December 1000 hours (17 hours after the start)
Since this morning’s update, three yachts have crossed the finish line. Master Lock Comanche claimed Line Honours, with LawConnect arriving just over an hour later and SHK Scallywag 100 following after 16 hours, 10 minutes and 9 seconds of racing.
As the moon rose over the racecourse last night, several navigators shared tactical insights. Among them, Andy Green, navigator on Master Lock Comanche, noted: “One of the key defining decisions this race will be on the way home: getting the gybe point right. The breeze might trend lighter toward the finish, so we don’t want to go too early.”
That wisdom appears to be holding true, with competitors slowing noticeably in the final approach through Sydney Heads.
The next boat due to arrive is the defending RSHYR champion, Celestial V70, who currently leads on IRC.
Meanwhile, 85 nautical miles further north at Cabbage Tree Island, the first sporty forties have rounded the turning mark. Back2Black, in its debut bluewater race in Australia, leads her “race within a race”. She is closely followed by the New Zealand TP52 V5, then Amition, skippered by father-and-son duo Dare, with Ed Cox’s Minerva no more than 8 nautical miles behind.
Other competitors who have reached the halfway mark include MRV, Yendys, Alithia, Happy Wanderer, Oroton Drumfire and Maritimo 100.
Fifty-one yachts are still on their way to halfway.
In IRC Division 1, Celestial V70 leads, followed by Master Lock Comanche in second and URM Group in third. However, with the TP52s and sporty forties charging hard, the picture could still change quickly.
IRC Division 2 remains highly dynamic as the fleet tracks north. KD1 (Joe de Kock) currently leads, with Love & War (Simon Kurts) in second and Peter Bremner’s Unicoin in third. Notably, both Love & War and Unicoin are past Sydney Hobart handicap winners, proof that these timeless yachts remain fiercely competitive.
Settling into the morning, the Overall PHS leader is Celestial V70, followed by SHK Scallywag 100 and Master Lock Comanche, the same order seen in PHS Division 1.
In PHS Division 2, the leaders are Cyan Moon, Wild Oats and Cinquante.
MRV continues to lead IRC Corinthian, while Oroton Drumfire has taken over the top spot from Blink in Wild Rose IRC.
The Double-Handed fleet remains tightly contested, but Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews have found another gear aboard Toucan, now leading IRC DH. In the dead of night, co-skipper Dews shared: “Super tricky interactions between sea breeze and the hot and dry land breeze inshore. Going inshore feels like a gamble for us but so far others have had big gains there, especially around sunset.”
After this brief exchange, the pair headed offshore and the dividends are beginning to show.
Behind Toucan on IRC handicap are Verite and Min River. In PHS, Verite leads, followed by Toucan in second and Crux in third.
At the back of the fleet, Freyja, Richard Lees’ Atkins Ingrid, is nearing Forresters Beach with 147 nautical miles still to sail.
Images: CYCA | Andrea Francolini
Race Update | Saturday 6 December 0745 hours (14:45 hours after the start)
Master Lock Comanche has thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the Line Honours contenders for the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with a clinical performance in the Cabbage Tree Island Race.
Steaming home over the last few hours, backed by a solid northeast wind, Master Lock Comanche (pictured just inside the Heads this morning) has just finished the 172 nautical mile race to Cabbage Tree Island (north of Port Stephens) and back in a provisional time of 14 hours 34 minutes 21 seconds.
The last 2 nautical miles was a slog with stunning – but virtually windless – conditions frustrating the famous 100 footer.
The win is the second straight race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore that Matt Allen and James Mayo’s Maxi have taken Line Honours following last month’s Bird Island Race triumph and that’s an ominous sign for their rivals ahead of the big showdown on Boxing Day.
Currently sitting second for Line Honours, after staging an enthralling battle with SHK Scallywag 100 throughout the night, is LawConnect, which is being skippered by Tony Mutter in the absence of owner Christian Beck. LawConnect has taken a more offshore route than the other two Maxis over the last four hours.
The pair are expected to finish within the next hour or so, with LawConnect currently 11 nautical miles from home, 2.5 nautical miles ahead of Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag 100.
The other yachts to have rounded Cabbage Tree Island include Celestial V70, URM Group, Moneypenny, No Limit, Smuggler, Highly Sprung and Koa. That leaves 59 yachts still to reach the turn.
Celestial V70, in their season debut as they look to defend their Overall Rolex Sydney Hobart crown, heads up the Overall IRC standings and IRC Division 1 standings after 14.5 hours at sea, edging ahead of Master Lock Comanche and SHK Scallywag 100 over the last 60-90 minutes.
In IRC Division 2 it’s a fluid leaderboard with Love & War currently up on Blink, Kanreki and Unicoin but things are changing minute by minute as the fleet navigate the fastest way to Port Stephens and head back towards Sydney.
Settling into the morning, the Overall PHS leader is SHK Scallywag 100, followed Celestial and V70 Master Lock Comanche, while the same goes for PHS Division 1.
In PHS Division 2 it’s Wots Next, Wild Oats then and Blink.
MRV is out in front in IRC Corinthian, while Blink leads Wild Rose IRC.
Back in the fleet, there is a classic battle being staged between a quartet of Double Handers with Toucan, Verite, Beautemps and Pacman all within 0.3 nautical miles of each other.
Verite marginally leads Toucan and Crux in the Double Handed IRC standings at this point, while it’s currently Verite, Crux and Toucan in PHS with a host of others also in contention with plenty of sailing left to decide the winners.
At the tail of the fleet, Freyja, Richard Lees’ Atkins Ingrid still has 146 nautical miles to complete the journey and was actually passed by the Master Lock Comanche off the coast of MacMasters Beach as the race leader charged south.
We will have more updates as the day evolves.
Race Update | Friday 5 December 2200 hours (5 hours after the start)
Catch me if you can! That’s what Master Lock Comanche is saying to the rest of the Line Honours contenders five hours into the 2025/26 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Cabbage Tree Island Race.
It’s easier said than done but that’s what LawConnect is trying to do. After blowing a jib and breaching the start line just before the race gun, the two-time reigning Rolex Sydney Hobart Line Honours winner has now moved into third, closing in on SHK Scallywag 100 in the last 60 minutes.
LawConnect tactician Chris Nicholson said the yacht was making small gains on the leader by working the boat closer to shore than her rivals.
“Unfortunately, we’re slightly over (the start line), but we had a bit going on in there,” the offshore legend said.
“We’ve done a tear in the bottom of the jib, and then when we sheet on, we actually blew the jib out.
“Luckily, it’s our oldest jib, (we’re) preserving our good one for Hobart. But, you know, so behind the eight ball, but we’ve kind of chipped away. Scallywag’s not that far in front. Comanche is a bit of a step, but we made a couple of good gains here, now working the shore and the shifts a bit better.
Just on 22 nautical miles from the turn at Cabbage Tree Island (north of Port Stephens), Master Lock Comanche holds a 2.6 nautical mile advantage over Scallywag 100, with LawConnect 0.2 nautical miles further back.
Doing a great job behind them is Celestial V70, URM Group, Moneypenny and No Limit.
Ocean Crusaders J-Bird. Image: CYCA | Andrea Francolini
In the Overall IRC standings, Sam Haynes' Celestial V70 is leading the IRC Division 1 from Damien King’s Frers 61 MRV and URM Group.
In IRC Division 2 it’s Peter Lowndes’ Wine-Dark Sea, then the Beneteau First 40 of Mark Gorbatov and Mark Siebert, Blink, and Simon Kurts’ S&S 47 Love & War.
The Overall PHS leader at this stage is MRV ahead of Blink and Celestial V70.
MRV is also out front in PHS Division 1, from Celestial V70 and Alithia.
For PHS Division 2 the top three are currently Blink, Wine-Dark Sea and Matt Hayes’ Veloce.
Minnie racing Double Handed through Sydney Harbour. Image: CYCA | Andrea Francolini
In the 11-yacht Double Handed fleet, Michael Bell and Adrian Harmsworth have Minnie in front as the leading DH boat, but when it comes to IRC and PHS it is Paul Beath and Tony Craner on Verite ahead of Toucan (Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews).
Sticky has joined Cool C4ts as the race’s retirees, pulling out due to engine issues.
We will have more updates on Saturday morning and throughout the day.
As well as being the penultimate race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, the Cabbage Tree Island Race is also the first event of both the five-day Australian Maxi Championship and inaugural Southern Cross Series.
Race Update | Friday 5 December 1900 hours (2 hours after the start)
Drama! Drama! Drama!
That’s what punctuated the start of Race 5 of the 2025/26 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Cabbage Tree Island Race.
With a late pre-race withdrawal of a Maxi, a torn jib on the start line of another and several leading contenders jumping the gun there was plenty to take in.
Whatever the result of the 172 nautical mile race to Cabbage Tree Island (north of Port Stephens) and return, what happened in the opening minutes might still be the story.
The race began at 1700hrs this evening in beautiful sunny and windy sailing conditions, minus 100-footer Wild Thing 100, who couldn’t get their mainsail up and were forced to pull the plug 30 minutes before go time.
At the gun, three boats - Christian Beck’s LawConnect, that is being Skippered by Tony Mutter, URM Group, missing owners Anthony and David Johnston in this race, and skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones, and Peter Wrigley and Andrew Kearnan’s Koa, were all adjudged to be on the course side at the start and forced to double back.
Making matters worse for LawConnect, who had five-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Ian Thorpe onboard for his offshore debut, was a torn jib just metres from the start line.
LawConnect's jib tearing. Image:CYCA | Ashley Dart
That all allowed Matt Allen and James Mayo’s Master Lock Comanche free rein out in front with fellow maxi SHK Scallywag 100 and 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Overall champion Celestial V70 chasing hard.
By the time they cleared the Heads, Master Lock Comanche was just over 16 minutes into the race. Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag 100, helmed by David Witt, was about 90 seconds in arrears, with Sam Haynes and Celestial V70 a minute further behind.
Celestial V70 sailing through Sydney Heads. Image: CYCA | Andrea Francolini
LawConnect and URM Group were doing their best to make up the distance lost in the opening exchanges following their false start.
Two hours after the start, Master Lock Comanche was passing Whale Beach with SHK Scallywag 100 slightly further inshore. LawConnect’s early efforts to catch the leading yacht sees them barely 1.5 nautical miles behind.
The next group of yachts furthest progressed north is led by Celestial V70, URM Group, No Limit and Moneypenny, who are all positioned much further offshore than the race leaders.
With a 71-strong fleet, the competitors were split into two divisions, with the IRC and PHS Division 1 fleet beginning five minutes before the Division 2 fleet.
The Division 2 start was not without theatre either, with both Mark Gorbatov and Mark Siebert’s Blink and Veloce (Matt Hayes) both being recalled to the start for crossing the line early.
We will have more updates on the middle of the fleet in a few hours.
Cool C4ts was the race’s first retirement, out with a broken rudder cable 35 minutes after the start.
As well as being the penultimate race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, the Cabbage Tree Island Race is also the first event of both the five-day Australian Maxi Championship and inaugural Southern Cross Series.
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