It’s the day after Christmas and all of Sydney looks forward to the Boxing Day holiday. It’s definitely a colonial hand-me-down, but one that was welcomed because it came with a holiday – an extra day to spend with family and friends enjoying the great outdoors!
One of the biggest Boxing Day events that Sydneysiders look forward to is the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. This race attracts a lot of Sydneysiders and international competitors who simply love the adventure of sailing!And, for those watching the start of the race from the harbour shores or from spectator vessels, it’s an equally exciting experience!
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia often charters the Magistic Cruises catamarans for Boxing Day. Tickets for the Magistic vessels sell like hot cakes as they enjoy a VIP platform that allows their guests to view the start of the race and follow the yachts till they sail out of the harbour!
The Boxing Day cruises gives you the ultimate seats on the harbour to see the shores bustling with excitement, the impressive fleet of yachts lining up for the race and helicopters hovering above to film the firing of the starting cannon.
Sometimes it’s a colourful spinnaker start and sometimes a beat to windward with yachts crossing tacks as they race towards the open sea. Either way, for spectators, it’s a fantastic experience!
If you and your loved ones are on board the Magistic, you’ll be in the thick of all the activity. From its decks you can see the fleet of participating yachts taking position at three start lines off Neilson Park. All competing yachts will have a distinctive Rolex race flag on their backstay, making it easy to distinguish them from the host of other spectator craft spread across the harbour waters.
The biggest yachts start off from the northern line and will race to Victor Mark and the smaller ones flag off from two southern lines, heading to X-Ray Mark at Sydney Heads, rounding either Yankee or Zulu Marks, before heading out to sea.
The purpose of two sets of rounding marks is to compensate for the distance between the fleets as they head out to sea, making sure all the vessels start off on an even keel!
The 2.5 hr cruise aboard the luxurious Magistic treats you not just to the start of this Bluewater Classic race but also to the experience of cruising alongside all the yachting action, enjoying refreshing beverages and a sumptuous harbour buffet lunch. With great photo opportunities, you can capture all the thrilling action of the day!
Without a doubt, it’s great to spend Boxing Day out on Sydney Harbour cruises experiencing the thrills and spills of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race!
