Attention all offshore racing fanatics seeking new adventures: The Southern Cross Series is a new offshore racing pointscore organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the iconic Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Comprised of three dynamic offshore ocean races, the series kicks off with the 172 nautical mile Cabbage Island Race on December 5, followed by the highly anticipated 80th running of the 628 nautical mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on December 26. The final race is the inaugural 1270 nautical mile Trans-Tasman Yacht Race (Sydney to Auckland) on February 27, 2026.
The Trans-Tasman Yacht Race will start over three days on Sydney Harbour and finish in Auckland.
The Overall winner of the series will have the honour of being crowned champion of the 2025/26 Southern Cross Series.
The CYCA sailing office has already received an impressive 30-plus expressions of interest in the 2026 Trans-Tasman Yacht Race, to be run by the CYCA in cooperation with Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Sailors who plan to compete in this triple-threat event, include Matt Hanning, owner and skipper of the luxury cruiser/racer – the Beneteau First 53 Odin. Odin (with highly experienced crew members on board), is a newcomer to offshore racing, and so far, so good. Odin placed 21 on Line Honours and fifth on IRC Division 2 in the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Michael Martin, owner of high-performance racing yacht TP52 Frantic, has also expressed interest in crossing the Tasman. Frantic currently holds the speed record in the 2018 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race.
The Southern Cross Series suits a variety of yachts and is not limited to luxury brands.
Kevin Whelan, owner and skipper of the Beneteau First 45F5 Reve, was delighted to learn that the series was going ahead.
Whelan, owner of Reve since 1997, has thousands of sea miles to his name. He has accomplished many of these on board Reve. Whelan and his family sailed around the world on Reve for nine years in the early 2000s. And the yacht has competed in six Rolex Sydney Hobarts under his ownership.
Whelan said the Southern Cross Series, and particularly the Trans-Tasman Yacht Race, is perfect for “endurance” yachts like Reve.
“Reve’s probably coming up to the end of its racing career because I think I’m coming up to the end of my offshore racing career,” Whelen said with a chuckle. “But I would like to do the Trans-Tasman Yacht Race and I think a lot of people would. A lot of the cruiser/races would like to do the race.”
Although a seasoned offshore sailor, Whelan has never crossed the Tasman. He is eager to take on this challenge and hopes to have his son and daughter, James and Alexis, both highly experienced sailors, along for the ride.
Kevin and Alexis Whelan. Credit – Justin Lloyd
“I like the idea of sailing across the Tasman,” Whelan said. “That’d be quite adventurous. Obviously, I’d have to get the crew trained up and running to do that distance as the Tasman Sea can be quite treacherous if you’re not careful.”
Following the Trans-Tasman Yacht Race, Whelan plans to cruise around New Zealand and Pacific Islands. He hopes to explore the Bay of Islands, 144 subtropical islands on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, before stopping by Tonga or Fiji on the way home to Sydney via Queensland.
Excitement and interest in this new, one-of-a-kind series is building. Don’t miss out on the action – enter the Southern Cross Series now for the adventure of a lifetime.
