Fourteen yachts with decades of Sydney Hobart pedigree have already committed to the 2026 Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta, signalling another blockbuster fleet for December’s celebration of ocean racing history. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is banking on exceeding last year’s record 36 entries when the classics gather from 11-13 December, and early indications suggest that ambition is well-founded.
Love & War sets the benchmark. Simon Kurts’ 1973 S&S 47 has won the Hobart overall three times, a tally few yachts ever reach. She was competitive throughout last year’s regatta, capturing Spinnaker Division 1 on PHS before mixing it with the main fleet’s heavyweights in the final stages of the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart just weeks later. Her entry alone signals intent from owners who understand that classics aren’t museum pieces but genuine racing instruments.
The Spinnaker divisions are shaping up as tight affairs. James Mackenzie’s Dubois One Tonner Bimblegumbie, which finished runner-up in Non-Spinnaker Division 1 last December, steps up in class this year. She’ll compete against King Billy, Syonara and Titoki for divisional honours. In Spinnaker Division 2, Samuel Hunt’s Nike was pipped by a single point for the title last year and returns hungry for another go. Philip Brown’s Halvorsen 38 Anitra V, a 1957 overall Sydney Hobart winner, adds serious credentials to that division, along with entries from David Salter, Mark Ayto and Victorian David McNeice aboard Akala.
The Non-Spinnaker ranks carry their own stories. Tiare Tomaszewski brings back Maris, a 1958 Tasman Seabird built for her grandfather Jack Earl, a CYCA founding member. Maris placed second in her division last year and remains competitive. Tony Burgess’ Valhalla, a 1964 Vashti-class, is also entered. Non-Spinnaker Division 1 features Bill Ferris’ Boden 60 Archina and David Champtaloup’s Robert Clark-designed Caprice of Huon, selected for Australia’s first Admiral’s Cup campaign in 1965. Champtaloup, who chairs the CYCA’s Classic Yacht Committee, knows these boats intimately.
Several divisional champions from last December haven’t yet lodged entries. Peter Cummings’ Adams 10 Madam X won Non-Spinnaker Division 1, while Warwick Ellis’ Delinquent swept both races in Non-Spinnaker Division 2. Ben Gray’s Impeccable, which took out Spinnaker Division 2, is also conspicuously absent from the early list. Whether they return remains to be seen, but organisers are casting their net wide. Any yacht with a Sydney Hobart race finish on her history and a launch date before 1996 is eligible. If your classic has done the hard miles to Hobart, the CYCA wants her on the start line this December.
