By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- Sydney Harbour
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- December
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
The 81st race. The fleet starts on Sydney Harbour in the early afternoon and turns for the open sea within the hour, so the spectacle from land is concentrated into a short window.
The fleet leaves Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day afternoon and is out of sight within the hour, which makes this an event with a very short viewing window and a great many people trying to use it. The harbour itself is closed to spectator traffic where it matters. The good news is that the best positions are all on land and all free, and one of them is an ordinary scheduled ferry.
What the Sydney Hobart actually is
An ocean race of well over six hundred nautical miles from Sydney down the New South Wales coast, across Bass Strait and up the Derwent to Hobart, run every Boxing Day since the nineteen forties and widely regarded as one of the toughest in the sport. Boats range from professional maxis chasing the line honours record to small crewed yachts that will be at sea for days after the leaders have finished. The start is the part Sydney turns out for: a hundred or so yachts under full sail on the harbour at once, in front of a crowd on every headland.
Where to watch the Sydney Hobart
- South Head, at the harbour mouth. The pick of the route. The fleet has to pass through the heads to reach the open sea, so every boat comes past you, close, under full sail and at speed. It is a walk in from Watsons Bay and it is worth doing properly: get there in the morning, take food, and expect company.
- Watsons Bay and Camp Cove. Easier to reach than South Head and still right at the business end of the harbour. There is a ferry wharf, there are pubs, and there is a beach. The trade is that you are looking across at the fleet rather than watching it come past your feet.
- Nielsen Park and Vaucluse. Halfway down the eastern harbour, so you see the fleet working its way out. Grassy, swimmable and far less crowded than the headlands, which makes it the sensible option with children in tow.
- Bradleys Head, on the north side. Excellent sightlines across the harbour and a fraction of the crowd of the southern positions. A short walk from Taronga wharf, which the ferry serves.
- The scheduled Manly ferry. The sleeper pick and the one most visitors never think of. A normal ferry crossing on the standard fare takes you out across the harbour around the time the fleet is forming up, giving a moving view from the water for the price of a public transport trip. Check the timetable against the start time and take the crossing that lands you mid harbour beforehand.
Tickets and what it costs
Watching from land is free everywhere, and the free positions are genuinely the good ones. Commercial spectator boats are sold for the start and they are not cheap; what they buy is proximity, though an exclusion zone keeps all spectator craft clear of the racing fleet, so the difference is smaller than the price suggests. The scheduled ferry is the best value on the harbour that day by a wide margin. The yacht club at Rushcutters Bay is open to the public in the days beforehand, and wandering the dock while the boats are being prepared costs nothing and is arguably more interesting than the start itself.
Official information and booking: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com
Getting there
Buses run to Watsons Bay from the city and ferries serve Watsons Bay, Taronga and Manly, all of which are busy on the day. For South Head, take the ferry or bus to Watsons Bay and walk out along the headland. Roads in the eastern suburbs are slow and parking at the headlands is effectively impossible, so do not drive. It is a public holiday, so transport runs to a holiday timetable, and the last ferries back from the eastern harbour fill quickly once the fleet has gone.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Arriving shortly before the start
The fleet is through the heads and gone within the hour, and the walk out to the headlands takes time you will not have. The good positions at South Head are taken by the middle of the morning. This is a get there early event or it is nothing.
Assuming you can get close on the water
An exclusion zone keeps spectator craft well clear of the racing fleet for the whole start. Paying for a boat does not put you alongside the yachts, and the headlands frequently give a better view than a spectator vessel held at distance.
Ignoring the scheduled ferry
An ordinary public ferry crossing on a normal fare gives a moving view from the middle of the harbour at roughly the right time. It is the cheapest good vantage point of the day and almost nobody plans around it.
Forgetting it is high summer on an exposed headland
The southern headlands have no shade whatsoever and the walk out is in full sun. Water, a hat and sunscreen are not optional, and the Australian sun in this part of the year is stronger than most visitors expect.
Planning to drive to a vantage point
Parking near Watsons Bay and the harbour headlands is impossible on the day and the roads out there are single lane and slow. Ferries and buses are the only sensible approach.
Other Sydney events
Frequently asked questions
When does the Sydney Hobart start?
Boxing Day, every year, from Sydney Harbour in the early afternoon. The date does not move. The club confirms the exact start time in the race documents beforehand, though it has been consistent for years.
Where is the best place to watch the start?
South Head at the harbour mouth, because every boat in the fleet has to pass through the heads to reach the sea and they do it close in and under full sail. Watsons Bay is easier to reach, Nielsen Park is calmer, and Bradleys Head on the north side is much less crowded.
Is it free to watch?
Yes, from every headland and foreshore park on the harbour. Commercial spectator boats are sold separately, but an exclusion zone holds all spectator craft clear of the fleet, so they buy less advantage than the price implies.
Can you see the yachts from a ferry?
Yes, and it is the best value option available. A scheduled Manly ferry crossing on a normal fare puts you on the water while the fleet is forming up. Check the ferry timetable against the start time and take the crossing that has you mid harbour beforehand.
How long is the race?
Well over six hundred nautical miles, from Sydney down the New South Wales coast, across Bass Strait and up the Derwent to Hobart. The fastest boats take a matter of days; the smallest are at sea considerably longer.
Can you see the boats before the race?
Yes. The fleet is berthed at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at Rushcutters Bay in the days beforehand and the dock is open to the public. It is free, far calmer than the start, and you get to see the boats and crews up close rather than at a distance.
Sources
- Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, official site
- Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
- Transport for NSW event travel information
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.