Its 628 nautical miles (1,163 kilometres) journey between Sydney and Hobart (Tasmania capital) has several key features, including the crossing of the eastern end of the Bass Strait, a very dangerous water extension in which conditions can be very changing.

For almost 80 years, the international race season has been closed with one of the most legendary sailing competitions: the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 2023 edition of this venerated ocean test will have a heterogeneous fleet of 120 ships and will begin on December 26 from Sydney's spectacular bay.

Since its creation in 1945, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has won a place of honor in the world's sailing calendar and is an inescapable event of sport in the last week of the year. This is an epic race whose reputation transcends the traditional borders of the candle and in which Rolex identified similar values that justify its sponsorship and unconditional support since 2002. Today, along with the mythical Rolex Fastnet Race, it is one of the cornerstones of the long relationship of the Swiss watchmaker with the sailing sport, which dates back almost seven decades.

This year's race begins, as is tradition, on December 26, the one known as Boxing Day. A fleet of 120 ships will thwart the history of a race in which about 60,000 regatists and 7,500 sailboats have participated along the 77 editions disputed.

At the front of the battle for real-time victory stand four 100-foot colossus (30.48 meters), the upper limit according to the Regata Instructions. They aspire to the glory of being the first to reach Hobart: the John Winning Jr's Andoo Comanche (winner in 2022 and which has on board the Cantabros Pablo Arararte and Antonio Ñeti Cuervas- Mons); the Law Connect of Christian Beck (with the canary Carlos Hernández); the SHK Scallywag of the Hongkonese Seng Huang Lee; and the Wild Thing 100 of Grant Wharington. Nor will there be any lack of ships that already know what it is to get the absolute title in compensated time, such as the Celestial (champion in 2022) or the Alive (2018), and other illustrious ones like the German Max Klink, who arrives in Australia after winning the historic 50 Rolex Fastnet Race held last August.