AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • TRUSTED
  • ACCURATE
  • IMPARTIAL
DONATE SUBSCRIBE
Law
LawConnect (r) led the the Sydney to Hobart race through the Sydney Heads, followed by Commanche. Image by Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS
  • sailing

Sydney to Hobart begins, LawConnect first out of Heads

Jasper Bruce December 26, 2024

Reigning line honours champion LawConnect has led the Sydney to Hobart fleet out of the Sydney Heads as the 79th running of the bluewater classic gets underway.

Favourite for line honours Master Lock Comanche was in hot pursuit behind her rival 100ft supermaxi, the pair leaving the iconic Sydney Harbour behind around 1:15pm local time – 15 minutes after the start.

URM Group and Celestial V70, two leading contenders for overall honours, enjoyed fast starts – the former taking a different tactical approach by sticking close to the eastern shore.

A large spectator fleet gathered outside of the exclusion zone on Sydney Harbour to take in the start of the race and bask in the pristine summer conditions.

The fleet of 104 is expected to make a fast start down the NSW coast in a north-easterly breeze before a west south-westerly change hits the Bass Strait overnight, bringing strong winds and possible showers.

Keep updated

Latest News

Latest Fact Checks

AAP FactCheck

  • Information you can trust
  • Written by trained, experienced journalists using authoritative sources
  • Accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)

AAP FactCheck provides factual, authoritative information Australians can rely on. Accredited with the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network and adhering to the highest industry standards, our experienced team works to minimise the impact of misinformation.

AAP Photos

  • Award-winning Australian Photography
  • Editorial or Commercial use
  • Subscriptions or one-off licences

Image buyers from all industries rely on AAP Photos. A digital treasure trove of content depicting Australian life, our fully-searchable database contains millions of images from around the country and around the world.

AAPNews

  • News delivered to your inbox
  • Trusted, reliable and accurate
  • Corporate and individual packages available

AAPNews delivers newswire content direct to the public. Choose from a number of subscription models to not only gain access to high-quality fact-based news on your desktop or mobile device, but also to show your support for Australia's only not-for-profit newswire.

Newsroom

  • The wire – up to the minute news at your fingertips
  • Feeds delivered to your CMS
  • Agenda – AAP’s planning and events tool

Get the news feed your organisation needs, with AAP offering extensive coverage of news, courts, politics, sports, finance and the arts. Take advantage of AAP’s partner content to get the international news that matters to your business, with news feeds delivered via multiple channels including API and FTP.