Wild seas for Wild Oats XI during dayu two of the 2006 Rolex Trophy Photo: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

The Rolex Trophy, formerly the British Trophy, is sailed out of Sydney in December each year. It is not only a significant lead-up event to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, but a prestigious regatta in its own right.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia originally introduced a regatta to provide a competitive series in the even years between the biennial international teams racing series for the Southern Cross Cup. Unlike the Southern Cross Cup, the Rolex Trophy is a regatta for individual yachts and is a standalone series that does not include the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The Rolex Trophy is now held every year, with large fleets racing in IRC and PHS rating divisions, plus one-design divisions. 

	Lang Walker's Kokomo and Matt Allen's Ichi Ban copping some salt water actionPhoto: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

The CYCA introduced the Southern Cross Cup, a series of races out of Sydney and including the Sydney Hobart Race, back in 1967 after an Australian team first won the famous Admiral’s Cup in England.

Over the years, the Southern Cross Cup enjoyed international status, attracting teams from many overseas countries to compete in regatta racing off the New South Wales coast as an exciting prelude to the long ocean race to Tasmania. The final race was the 628 nautical mile Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

In 1996, following another Southern Cross Cup year, the CYCA agreed to requests from yacht owners to introduce an annual lead-up regatta to the Sydney Hobart. It was to be a stand-alone regatta for individual yachts.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania found in its trophy cabinets in Hobart an historic piece of silverware called the British Trophy and presented it to the CYCA as the perpetual trophy for the new annual regatta. It was also re-named the Telstra Cup with support from the then new sponsors of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

	Living Doll won Race Four of the Rolex Trophy Ratings Series in wild conditions off Sydney HeadsPhoto: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

In 2001, the CYCA reverted to calling it the British Trophy Regatta when it conducted the Sydney Hobart without a naming rights sponsor. 

In 2003, Rolex agreed to become the naming rights sponsor of the event and it was renamed the Rolex Trophy.

Ocean racing yachts that have done well in this regatta have continued that form into the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.   Several British Trophy winners and placegetters have gone on to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, including the Victorian boat Terra Firma (1996), Beau Geste from Hong Kong-China (1997) and Sydney yacht Bumblebee 5 (2001). 

Rolex Trophy – One Design Series
Friday 11th, Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th December 2009

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s summer of sail in Sydney will begin with the prestigious Rolex Trophy One Design Series for one design classes including Farr 40s, Sydney 38s and M30s. The Rolex Trophy will begin on Friday 11 December for the Farr 40 class while the remaining one design classes will begin their two-day regatta on the Saturday. Races for all classes will conclude on Sunday 13 December.

Day One Report

Day Two Update

Day Two Report

Day Three Report

Rolex Trophy – Rating Series
Thursday 17th, Friday 18th, Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th December 2009.

After a three-day break in the Rolex Trophy, the IRC rated classes, (including many large and small entrants for the Rolex Sydney Hobart) will race over four days in the Rating Series. A change in format for 2009 will see two days of windward-leeward racing (4 races in total), followed by two days of passage racing.

A total of 6 races will constitute the 2009 Rolex Trophy Rating Series. 

Day One Report

Day Two Report

Day Three Report

Rolex Trophy – Passage Series
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th December 2009

In 2008, the CYCA introduced a new component of the Rolex Trophy Series. For those boats not keen on the traditional format of the windward/leeward races, the Rolex Trophy Passage Series has been created as an alternative IRC rated-series to allow them to still be a part of this exciting lead-up event. The Passage Series will run over two days, Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of December, and will consist of two offshore passage races – one race per day. The Passage Racing fleet will join the Rating Series entrants on the two Passage Races.

Boats cannot enter in both the Ratings Series and the Passage Series.

Race One Report