You can watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race either in person around Sydney Harbour or via live TV/online coverage , depending on what suits you best.

Watching in person – Sydney

If you’re in Sydney on Boxing Day (26 December), the start is at about 1:00 pm in Sydney Harbour. Popular vantage points where people traditionally gather include:

  • Eastern Suburbs headlands such as Nielsen Park, South Head, and along the Gap/Watsons Bay.
  • North side lookouts around North Head and Middle Head, with views toward the Heads.
  • Foreshore spots inside the harbour where you can see the fleet form up before they head out to sea.

Many people also watch from private boats or commercial spectator cruises on the harbour, which position near the start lines and follow the fleet out through the Heads.

Watching on TV or online

If you can’t be there in person, the start is broadcast live and streamed online.

  • Australian free-to-air TV typically shows a live Boxing Day program covering the start from about midday to shortly after the fleet clears the Heads.
  • The official race website (Rolex Sydney Hobart) offers ways to follow the start and then track the fleet, including live or replay video, race coverage, and a yacht tracker map.
  • After the broadcast wraps up, you can follow progress via the race tracker and update shows from the organising club’s video channel.

Watching from Hobart

You can’t see the start from Hobart, but you can enjoy the finishes and dockside atmosphere when the boats arrive in the Derwent and tie up at Constitution Dock.

  • Best viewing is around the Derwent River and the Hobart waterfront once the leading yachts approach, usually from 27 December onward depending on conditions.
  • Local event guides list times and vantage points for watching arrivals and joining the waterfront celebrations.

Meta description: Discover where you can watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, including the best Sydney harbour vantage points, TV and online options, and how to follow the race as it unfolds.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.