Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2025: When It Starts and How to Follow the Action
If you’re wondering what time the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race starts and how to keep track of it, you’re not alone. Every Boxing Day, this iconic ocean race captures attention across Australia and well beyond, and 2025 is no different. What began decades ago as a friendly sailing challenge has grown into one of the most respected and demanding events on the global sailing calendar, and once again, all eyes are on Sydney Harbour.
The 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart officially gets underway at 1:00 pm AEDT on Boxing Day. As always, the start is one of the most dramatic moments of the entire race. Almost 130 yachts, ranging from cutting-edge supermaxis to much smaller offshore racers, are brought together in Sydney Harbour. The atmosphere is tense and electric as crews manoeuvre for the best possible position, waiting for the unmistakable sound of the starting cannon. Once it’s fired, the fleet surges forward, heads through Sydney Heads, and commits to the long journey south toward Tasmania.
From that moment on, the race becomes a true test of endurance, skill, and decision-making. The course stretches roughly 628 nautical miles, taking yachts down Australia’s east coast, across the notoriously unpredictable Bass Strait, and then up the River Derwent to the finish line in Hobart. Conditions can change rapidly, and it has often been said that no two Sydney to Hobart races are ever the same.
For those following from home, the race is easy to track. Live television coverage is being provided by Channel 9 and streamed through 9Now, giving viewers a front-row seat to the start and key moments along the course. In addition, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia offers a live race tracker online, allowing fans to monitor each yacht’s position in near real time. This has become a favourite tool for viewers, especially during the overnight hours when boats are spread out across the ocean.
Spectators in Sydney can also watch the start from various vantage points around the harbour, where the mix of sail, sea, and skyline creates a truly unique scene. In Hobart, attention will soon turn to the River Derwent and Constitution Dock, where crowds traditionally gather to welcome crews as they finally arrive, often exhausted but triumphant.
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Whether you’re tuning in for the spectacle of the start at 1:00 pm AEDT or tracking yachts as they battle through Bass Strait, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race remains a Boxing Day tradition that blends history, drama, and pure adventure on the water.
Sydney to Hobart 2025: What Time the Race Starts and Why Boxing Day Matters
Every Boxing Day, one of Australia’s most iconic sporting traditions unfolds on Sydney Harbour, and the 2025 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is no exception. The race officially gets underway at exactly 1:00 pm AEDT on Boxing Day, marked by the unmistakable boom of a starting cannon. From that moment, nearly 130 yachts of all shapes and sizes surge forward, beginning their long and demanding journey south to Hobart.
What makes the start so special is not just the time on the clock, but the spectacle that surrounds it. Sydney Harbour is transformed into a moving theatre, with sleek supermaxis, smaller racing yachts, and countless spectator boats jostling for space. Crews are seen making last-second adjustments, sails are trimmed, and strategies are quietly put into action. It is often said that the race can be won or lost in these opening moments, and that tension is felt across the water.
Once the cannon has been fired, the fleet pushes out through Sydney Heads and into the open ocean. From there, a 628-nautical-mile course lies ahead, taking competitors down Australia’s east coast, across the unpredictable Bass Strait, along Tasmania’s shoreline, and finally up the River Derwent to the finish line in Hobart. For some yachts, the journey can be completed in less than two days if conditions are favourable. For others, it can stretch into several exhausting days and nights at sea.
The start time of 1:00 pm has become part of the race’s identity. It allows the harbour to be filled with daylight spectators, while also ensuring that crews face their first serious test after dark, once the protection of the harbour has been left behind. This first night is often described as one of the toughest phases of the entire race, especially if strong winds and heavy seas are encountered early.
Weather, of course, plays a huge role. Conditions can change quickly, and crews are constantly adapting. It has often been said that the Sydney to Hobart is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one, with patience and decision-making proving just as important as raw speed.
For fans watching from shore, television, or online trackers, the Boxing Day start remains the heartbeat of the event. Year after year, at precisely 1:00 pm AEDT, Australia pauses to watch the fleet depart, knowing that drama, endurance, and history are once again being set in motion on the open sea.
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