The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Celebrates a Special Anniversary

Rolex is a brand that has been associated with the dynamic world of sailing for decades. For the past 75 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has been a significant event in the international sailing calendar. The event is more than just a race: it is an experience based on passion, spectacle and beauty.

The 2019 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race started as usually on Boxing Day and ended on the 31st of December and was won by owner Matt Allen and the crew of the Australian yacht Ichi Ban.

 

The 629 nautical mile (about 1,170 km) course was thus won by this amazing team for the second time in three years.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was first organized in 1945 by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) and has had a long partnership with Rolex. This does not come as a surprise, as the two are a match in terms of values and standards.

Commodore Paul Billingham said about this year’s  race: “The 75th race coincides with the 75th year of the founding of the CYCA” and added that “the club has spent the year celebrating its birthday and these celebrations come to a head at 1 PM on the 26 December as the fleet sets off on the pilgrimage south. As ever, we are supported by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (RYCT) and by Rolex, which has been associated since 2002, one of the longest continuing partnerships in Australian sport.”

 

Matt Allen, the winner of the 75th edition of the race is no stranger to the event. He participated for the first time in 1980 when he was 17 and was a winner in 1983, as crew on Challenge II. “Winning this year’s race, my 30th race to Hobart and the 75th Rolex Sydney Hobart really brings a lot of history together.” commented Allen. He also added that he believes the race to be in its best shape yet and that he is looking forward to the next editions.

 

Rolex’s support for prestigious yachting competitions is part of guaranteeing that expertise and knowledge are transferred within the sailing community – both between peers and generations. This way, the future of offshore racing is safe as future world-class events will be organized, all in the spirit of community, given that participation is about much more than the final result.

The story of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is highly inspirational, as it is an example of the connection between the world of a high-end label and it values and the way it connects to the world at large. It’s what we at AC call ‘metafashion’.

Today, Rolex supports some of the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas. The brand is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races like the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competitions at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup.

Thus, Rolex established itself as a symbol of excellence and becomes a symbol for all those who share this value. And that, gentlemen, is what true style is all about.

 

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

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