Celestial V70 Wins 2024 Sydney to Hobart Race

The New South Wales yacht Celestial V70, skippered by Sam Haynes, has been named the provisional overall winner of the 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, clinching the prestigious Tattersall Cup for the second time after a challenging race marked by the deaths of two sailors. The yacht completed the race in 1 day, 16 hours, 10 minutes and 20 seconds, despite treacherous weather conditions that led to over 30 retirements from the 104-boat fleet. Haynes expressed deep sorrow over the fatalities, acknowledging the tragic loss of fellow competitors Roy Quaden and Nick Smith, and highlighted the emotional weight carried by his crew. LawConnect, a supermaxi yacht, secured line honors for the second consecutive year, finishing earlier with a time of 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds. Haynes emphasized the skill and experience of his crew, which was largely the same as in 2022, and credited their success to the design of the yacht and their navigation strategy during the race. This year’s event has been particularly challenging, with the fatalities marking the first in the race since 1998.