1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

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1st Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Event information
TypeYacht
Dates26 December 1945 - 6 January 1946
Host citySydney, Hobart
Boats9
Distance628 nautical miles (1,163 km)
WebsiteRolex Sydney Hobart
Results
Winner (1945)Rani (Captain John Illingworth)
Succession
PreviousNone
NextMorna (Claude Plowman) in 1946

The 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the inaugural running of the annual "blue water classic", the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales.

The race was initially planned to be a cruise planned by Peter Luke, Jack Earl and the Walker brothers who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing.[1][2][3]

The plan was changed, however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, Captain John Illingworth, famously suggested, "Why don't we make a race of it?"[4][5] The inaugural race,[6] like all those that have followed, began on Sydney Harbour, at noon on Boxing Day (26 December), before heading south for 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) through the Tasman Sea, past Bass Strait, into Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, to cross the finish line in Hobart.

The 1945 fleet comprised 9 starters.[7] Of the 9 starters, 8 yachts completed the race. Illingworth's own vessel, Rani, won the inaugural race in a time of 6 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes.[8]

Peter Luke's record for longest-ever time to finish the course stands to this day: 11 days, 6hours, and 20 minutes.[4]

1945 Fleet[edit]

9 yachts registered to begin the 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. They are:

Yacht Nation Skipper Previous
Starts 		LH (Elapsed) Time
d:hh:mm:ss 		HW (Corrected) Time
d:hh:mm:ss
Ambermerle Australia(NSW) J Colquhoun, C Kiel NA
Archina Australia (NSW) P Goldstein NA RETIRED RETIRED
Horizon Australia (NSW) J R Bartlett NA
Kathleen Australia Jack Earl NA
Mistral II Australia (NSW) Robert Evans NA
Rani United Kingdom Captain John Illingworth, RN NA 6:14:22:00 4:9:38:00
Saltair Australia A E and R M Walker NA
Wayfairer Australia (NSW) Peter Luke NA
Winston Churchill Australia P Coverdale NA

Results[edit]

Line Honours results[edit]

Position Sail number Yacht State/Country Yacht type LOA
(Metres) 		Skipper Elapsed time
d:hh:mm:ss 		Ref
1 44 Rani United Kingdom Great Britain Barber 35 Cutter 10.67 Captain John Illingworth 6:14:22:00 [9]
2 B3 Winston Churchill Tasmania Tasmania Coverdale 52 Cutter 15.66 Percy Coverdale 7:07:38:00 [9]
3 29 Kathleen New South Wales New South Wales Archer 44 Yawl 13.44 Jack Earl 8:06:20:00 [9]
4 CYC 32 Horizon New South Wales New South Wales Bailey 40 Ketch 12.27 J.R. Bartlett 8:07:47:00 [9]
5 CYC 14 Ambermerle New South Wales New South Wales Gronfors 34 Cutter 10.40 John Colquhoun
Clarrie Kiel 		8:08:18:00 [9]
6 CYC 59 Mistral II New South Wales New South Wales Alden 63 Schooner 19.32 Robert Evans 8:12:55:00 [9]
7 15 Saltair New South Wales New South Wales Walker 44 Ketch 13.27 Bert & Russell Walker 8:13:48:00 [9]
8 CYC 7 Wayfarer New South Wales New South Wales Alden-Larson 40 Ketch 12.19 Peter Luke 11:06:20:00 [9]
DNF CYC 20 Archina New South Wales New South Wales Boden 52 Ketch 15.85 Phil Goldstein Retired [9]

Handicap results[edit]

Position Sail number Yacht State/Country Yacht type LOA
(Metres) 		Skipper Corrected time
d:hh:mm:ss 		Ref
1 44 Rani United Kingdom Great Britain Barber 35 Cutter 10.67 Captain John Illingworth 4:09:38:00 [10]
2 CYC 14 Ambermerle New South Wales New South Wales Gronfors 34 Cutter 10.40 John Colquhoun
Clarrie Kiel 		5:14:39:00 [10]
3 B3 Winston Churchill Tasmania Tasmania Coverdale 52 Cutter 15.66 Percy Coverdale 5:15:20:00 [10]
4 29 Kathleen New South Wales New South Wales Archer 44 Yawl 13.44 Jack Earl 5:15:59:00 [10]
5 CYC 32 Horizon New South Wales New South Wales Bailey 40 Ketch 12.27 J.R. Bartlett 5:19:23:00 [10]
6 15 Saltair New South Wales New South Wales Walker 44 Ketch 13.27 Bert & Russell Walker 5:21:09:00 [10]
7 CYC 59 Mistral II New South Wales New South Wales Alden 63 Schooner 19.32 Robert Evans 7:17:13:00 [10]
8 CYC 7 Wayfarer New South Wales New South Wales Alden-Larson 40 Ketch 12.19 Peter Luke 7:19:43:00 [10]
DNF CYC 20 Archina New South Wales New South Wales Boden 52 Ketch 15.85 Phil Goldstein Retired [10]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ It was Jack’s intention to cruise to Hobart in December 1945 along with Peter Luke and the Walker brothers which was the foundation of the Sydney to Hobart race. see Jack Earl entry in – https://cyca.com.au/cyca-hall-of-fame/
  2. ^ "A Founding father of the Sydney to Hobart". Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  3. ^ [Biographical cuttings on Jack Earl, OA, founder of the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race and marine artist, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals], 1900, retrieved 1 May 2022
  4. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ Richmond, J. R.W.; Naval Historical Society of Australia (1997), The Sydney to Hobart yacht race 1945, Naval Historical Society of Australia, retrieved 26 December 2013
  6. ^ "SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE". The West Australian. Perth. 29 December 1945. p. 10. Retrieved 26 December 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "SYDNEY-HOBART YACHT RACE". The Examiner. Launceston, Tas. 18 December 1945. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "YACHT RACE TO HOBART". The Canberra Times. 29 December 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race". Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race". Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.

References[edit]

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