The Shorthanded Ocean Racing Association of Australia (SHORAA), has announced the return of the Race Around Australia in 2028, reviving one of the most ambitious ocean racing concepts ever staged in Australian waters. The Race Around Australia 2028 (RAA) will mark forty years since the iconic 1988 Bicentennial race and will be sailed in the same adventurous spirit, updated for a modern era of safety, sustainability, and communication.
The Race Around Australia 2028 is a double handed offshore yacht race covering more than 7,000 nautical miles around Australia’s vast and demanding coastline. The course is divided into five legs, incorporating four stopovers and two sprint stages with pit stops. The fleet will start from Sydney in August 2028, heading north to the Whitsundays and Darwin, before continuing west to Fremantle, south to Hobart, and finally returning across Bass Strait to Sydney, with the finish expected in November 2028.
SHORAA Chair Guy Chester said the course showcases the full scale and challenge of sailing around Australia.
“The race passes through three oceans and some of the most remote coastline anywhere in the world,” Chester said. “From the trade winds of the Great Barrier Reef, past Cape York and Arnhem Land, down the north west coast, around Cape Leeuwin, across the Great Australian Bight and into the roaring forties before Tasmania and Bass Strait. It is a true test of seamanship, preparation, and endurance.”
Safety has been central to the race design. The event will be run to Australian Sailing Category 1 plus additional requirements, including enhanced safety equipment, crew training standards, and a mandatory qualifying voyage.
The original 1988 Bicentennial Race was won by Sir Peter Blake and Mike Quilter aboard the 60 foot trimaran Steinlager 1. Quilter recalled the scale of the challenge.
“Seven thousand miles is not a Sydney Hobart,” Quilter said. “It is as much an adventure as it is a race. You are a long way from help, and you need to be self sufficient.”
Interest from past competitors is already strong. Bicentennial racer Dr Gavin LeSueur has confirmed his intention to return.
“Around Australia with two people is the ultimate adventure sail,” LeSueur said. “I was there in 1988 and I will be there again forty years later in 2028.”
The race is open to monohull and multihull yachts between 40 and 60 feet, with IRC and OMR divisions, supported by PHRF style handicapping. A PredictWind Navigation Challenge will add a tactical layer, while live tracking and regular onboard updates will allow fans to follow the fleet in real time.
“With patrons Lisa Blair OAM and Don McIntyre, we will honour the legacy of 1988 while delivering a contemporary offshore event,” Chester said.
“This will be a race for sailors who value adventure, self reliance, and serious ocean racing.”
The Preliminary Notice of Race is now published. Expressions of interest open in March 2026, with the full Notice of Race to be released by 1 August 2026.
Key dates
Expressions of Interest open March 2026
Notice of Race published by 1 August 2026
Race start August 2028
For more information:
Race Around Australia: www.racearoundaustralia.au
Shorthanded Ocean Racing Association of Australia: www.shoraa.org
