The Jackal wins line honours in 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Matt Setton’s Ker 11.3, The Jackal has claimed line honours in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ Yacht Race, in a time of 3 days, 5 hours, 22 minutes and 23 seconds.

In a closely fought race, The Jackal led all the way from Melbourne to Hobart, clinching the line honours victory despite the determined efforts of Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38, Faster Forward and a last-ditch effort from Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien, in the final few miles of the race.

Setton, who embraced his partner Katie and his very excited children, Tara and Zeke, moments after docking at the Elizabth Street Pier, reflected upon his victory as a first-time skipper and what gave them the edge.

“I’m pretty happy to be here, very relieved, it’s been a big year getting the boat ready, I’m glad we made it.

“I think our downwind speed on the second day gave us a little bit of a break from Faster Forward.

“We knew that they would be pretty good upwind and so for the first 12 hours or so, it wasn’t quite downwind, and there were only a few miles between us, but we thought, once the breeze got behind us, we’d be able to skip away a little bit, and we were able to do that which was good.

“Our trip down the West Coast on the second day was a lot of fun.

“We did push the limit a little bit and were lucky to escape with no damage to our new A2, and the same can be said coming up Storm Bay, we pushed the limit on that one, it got a little bit wet, but we recovered it with no damage thankfully so, the downwind stuff is always a highlight.

“We were also fortunate to have Stuart Addison on navigation and he thought we might be able to skirt around a bit of a hole in the wind which we did reasonably well, which probably helped us, but then we all depressed in the lighter breezes as so often happens.

“I think to do well in any yacht race, you need a little bit of luck, and some good planning and preparation and I think we got the balance right.

“It was a great race, very tactical, probably equally as tactical in some respects as a Sydney to Hobart.

“This year’s conditions were probably atypical, pretty light from all accounts, and no 40 knot westerlies rounding Maatsuyker [Island], we rounded it in daylight which was lovely.

“For me, the thing that attracted me to doing the Westcoaster as a first-time skipper and being Melbourne based, was that it was so much easier to achieve, the logistics of getting a boat ready in Melbourne for a Melbourne-based race was fantastic.

“And ORCV has been really supportive of me as a first-time skipper, with all my silly questions, which made it really enjoyable, it a stress having to work through all the paperwork and the compliance, which is necessary and important, but that was a great help, so thanks to the ORCV team.

Onboard The Jackal with Setton were Jeff Whiteside, Nigel Fellowes-Freeman, Peter Grant, Stuart Addison, Robert Buchanan, Thor Cembala and Ronald Piang Ng.

“It was a great team effort, I try and get a good all-round team and people that can do multiple things, not just one role, particularly drivers.

“I think it’s important to have people who are really good and comfortable driving in the day, at night, in heavy and in light conditions, so you aren’t reliant on one or two people. 

“Out of a crew of eight, I think we had four or five really good drivers.

“I’m just really pleased with the efforts of the crew.

“We also had two first timers who are relatively new to sailing, who have only been doing it for a couple of years, Peter [Grant] and Ronald [Piang Ng], and everybody else has been sailing for a long, long time.

“Particular thanks also to Jeff Whiteside who put a lot of time and effort into getting the boat ready with me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do the race without him,’ said Setton.

And the final highlight of Setton’s first line honours victory?

“We saw lots of pods of whales, I’ve never seen so many pods of whales in a single race, and they were all very close to us,” said Setton. 

Setton also won the Sea Pilot’s Trophy for first boat out of Port Phillip Heads at the start of the race.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Cliffhanger finish in Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

The Westcoaster might be a 435 nautical mile ocean race from Melbourne to Hobart, but like many of the ocean races from the big island to the little island, the River Derwent may have the last laugh in dictating who raises the trophy in this year’s race.

Competition has been intense from the get-go with almost every yacht leading on AMS handicap at some point in the race, but as the last 60 nautical miles loom, the scene is set for a cliffhanger of a finish, especially if the breeze fills in behind the fleet to send them home in style.

Vagabond, the Beneteau First 47.7 skippered by Andrew McConchie and Joan Lorraine, the Beneteau Oceanis 46 skippered by Peter Garner, have again struggled to find speed overnight, making things tough going for these heavier boats.

 

Vagabond skipper Andrew McConchie in the 2025 Westcoaster Photo credit Christopher Howe

Matt Setton’s, The Jackal, has maintained their line honours lead, despite charting a course closer to the shore which saw the Ker 11.3 encounter weaker and more fickle winds which haven’t paid off for the first-time race skipper, but what is certain is that Setton and his crew will be pushing the boat hard to ensure that they are first home.   

Conversely, nighttime tactics onboard Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien, have again paid off with the seasoned crew using the evening hours to close the gap on the leading boats, proving that pushing the boat hard after dark pays off, halving their deficit to The Jackal to just 15 nautical miles.

The Jackal’s slower progress overnight has opened the door for Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38, Faster Forward, who has chipped away at the lead and is now just eight nautical miles behind The Jackal.

All smiles on The Jackal in the 2025 Westcoaster Photo credit Matt Setton

But all eyes are now on who will be the handicap winner and the magnificent Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy, and at this stage, it is still anyone’s race.

Fahey spoke via Starlink satellite this morning about how the last 60 nautical miles of the race were shaping up.

“It was an incredibly dark night with poor visibility, but we have a stunning view of the coastline now under grey skies.

“We certainly hope we get a little bit more breeze, it’s been a very frustrating night, but this morning’s shown a few signs of that.

“We’ve got a spinnaker up.

“All the models suggest that we might have had northerly breeze, but the local waters forecast today suggests that we might have good following breeze all the way into Hobart, and it should build as the day goes on.

“It is still a little light, but we are moving, we’ve progressed passed South East Cape and we’ve got Bruny Island quite clear in the distance.

“We are confident that the breeze is going to build, and we’ll finish hopefully mid to late afternoon [on Tuesday],” said Fahey.

Faster Forward is sandwiched between The Jackal and handicap leader, Alien, knowing both will be hard to beat, but if energy and enthusiasm count for anything among this crew of race veterans and first timers, then they might just be the boat to shake things up.

“In this light air, we can’t get away from anybody, we need to get a bit closer to The Jackal.

“We also need the breeze to drop out a bit behind us and stall Alien, their handicap is pretty low comparatively, and they are pretty competitive, and as I said before the race, they’ll be our nemesis for a handicap win.

“I think our chances are pretty slim, but we are going to keep fighting on,” said Fahey.

Karl Civil on the helm of Faster Forward Photo credit Matt Fahey

A few local weather wrinkles near South East Cape are forecast which will keep skippers guessing but the breeze is expected to build to around 25 knots later in the day, with wind coming from behind the boats, which should set up the fleet for a fast and exhilarating run toward the finish, with the big downwind sails flying.

Fahey knows all about the perils of the River Derwent and will be focused on getting the tactics right on this most important stretch of water.

“This race is amazing.

“I had the opportunity to win it back in 2016 with Paul Roberts, we were neck and neck with a boat we raced all the way from Melbourne and as we entered the River [Derwent] they got a couple of miles ahead of us then sailed into a hole, and we beat them over the line, so the race isn’t done until you actually cross that finish line,” said Fahey.  

“There’s no point getting despondent, we’ve just got to keep using what we have efficiently as we can and stay concentrated, and everyone is very well motivated to do that, that’s for sure,” said Fahey.

Faster Forward is one of several boats in the fleet that has newcomers onboard, with skipper Fahey making it a priority for his yacht to offer sailing opportunities to those who want to give it a go.

“They’ve been going fantastically actually.

“They’ve been flattered with some fairly moderate conditions, in fairness, which is good for them, maybe they’re the good luck charms for nice weather.

“Spirits are great, camaraderie is really good, we put a good team together and we are having a lot of fun racing together for sure,” said Fahey.

Acrobatic dolphins escorting Alien at daybreak on the final day of sailing Photo credit Glen Cowan

The line honours winner is currently predicted to arrive late afternoon on Tuesday.

In addition to the Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy, other prizes up for grabs include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the boat that wins the Heemskerk Trophy, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on performance handicap.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Follow the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race on Blue Water Tracks on: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

Alien and Faster Forward in battle for Westcoaster handicap honours

Skipper Justin Brenan and the crew on Alien settling in for the battle ahead Photo Al Dillon

The battle for the handicap win is hotting up in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ Yacht Race.

Alien, the Lidgard 36 skippered by Justin Brenan, has capitalised on the weather conditions overnight, clawing back a third of the gap between handicap rival Faster Forward, the Sydney 38 skippered by Matt Fahey, with just nine nautical miles separating them in the early hours of Monday morning.

While the smaller boats are making up ground, the lighter conditions have proved tough going for the heavier boats particularly early handicap contender Joan Lorraine, the Beneteau Oceanis 46 skippered by Peter Garner, which has struggled to keep up with the fleet in the last few hours.

Matt Setton’s Ker 11.3, The Jackal, is still widely tipped to win line honours with a current lead of seven nautical miles over Faster Forward, but it’s not over yet between these two boats either.

Fahey has sailed the Sydney 38 closer to the rhumb line and is in the strongest position to take advantage of the intricate microclimate subsystems forecast to pass through, but Setton has taken The Jackal further offshore and may pick up slightly better breeze as they approach South West Cape.

Faster Forward in pursuit of The Jackal Photo Al Dillon

This year’s fleet has had an almost dream run down the West Coast of Tasmania with no retirements, but from here until the fleet reaches the docks in Hobart is where tactics, strategy, crew experience and just plain ol’ good luck can make the difference between a handicap win and second place.

With the race poised at a pivotal point, never underestimate one wily skipper and his loyal crew, and that’s Justin Brenan and the crew of Alien.

Brenan has completed the Westcoaster 15 times and has five overall race wins under his belt, including one Eastcoaster, proving his versatility in a boat that was custom-built in Hobart in 1996 to withstand the intensity of the Southern Ocean.

For those new to offshore racing, Brenan can be expected to put on a master class in tactical racing over the next 24 hours.

Brenan shared his thoughts on Alien’s chances prior to the start of this year’s Westcoaster.

“We’ve got an experienced crew who look after each other and just know what to do,” said Brenan.

Sailing on Alien are Michael Noy, Calum Brenan, Ben Tyrrell and Andrew Vincent who each have over ten Westcoasters to their names, and with Glen Cowan, Katrina Hartman and Allison Wetzels also very experienced sailors.

“As a crew we spend a lot of time pre-race looking at weather models and currents, but once we are racing, we use observations out of the hatch to make the most of what we see.

“Since owning Alien I’ve done over 26,000 nautical miles in ten years with largely the same crew, and with 76 Westcoasters between us, we know what to do, we are a well-oiled machine,” said Brenan.

For Alien, crew experience and knowing when to gybe may just be the clincher in this year’s race.

“In light conditions over such a long race, your crew get tired and can make mistakes.

“It’s going to be very competitive and will come down to how well your crew work together.

“Reaching South West Cape … if you set up with the right angle to clear Maatsuyker [Island] … it can be a fast run into Storm Bay, but it’s best to gybe only once, so when you gybe is critical,” said Brenan.

Alien and Faster Forward in a battle for handicap honours in the 2025 Westcoaster Photo credit Al Dillon

But Brenan has the utmost respect for the Faster Forward team which has several race veterans, including Simon Dryden, sailing alongside some first timers.

“Having the depth of crew experience on Faster Forward onboard may make up for any weakness of the newer crew,” said Brenan.

The fleet is currently beating into seven knots of breeze which is predicted to build to 10 knots by late afternoon with the current lending a hand to those boats closer to the shore.

The mood is upbeat onboard Faster Forward with Fahey reporting earlier today that the team is experiencing “beautiful sunny conditions, a good constant breeze, is making good progress, heading towards South West Cape.”

“Spirits are very high, it’s Ken’s [Lunty] birthday today so we’ll celebrate that later in the day, and there have been plenty of whales around us too.

“Our plan is to make the most of the next 20 to 24 hours in what looks like predominantly upwind conditions.”

Fahey has deep respect for Brenan and the crew onboard Alien and is acutely aware that the race can be won or lost in the last 50 nautical miles of the race, sharing his thoughts prior to the race.

“Alien is strong, seasoned, with a solid mature crew and will be a hard one to beat.

“The last 50 nautical miles will be critical - at the bottom of Bruny Island, if we get good weather and winds off the land and avoid the fickle winds of the River [Derwent], we might do well.

“We just need to stay close to The Jackal to give ourselves a chance,” said Fahey.

The Jackal and Faster Forward are expected to reach South West Cape by early evening on Monday, with The Jackal likely to finish around midday on Tuesday.

The fleet is competing for the prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy which will go to the handicap winner on AMS.

Other prizes include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the boat that wins the Heemskerk Trophy, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on performance handicap.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Follow the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race on Blue Water Tracks on: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

2025 Melbourne to Hobart | Race Updates

Follow the Melbourne to Hobart fleet on Blue Water Tracks.

Race Update December 30, 7.30am

View around Maatsuyker Photo Matt Setton

One lesson from this third evening is pretty clear, it pays to keep pushing after dark. For the second night in a row, Vagabond and Joan Lorraine have struggled to find speed overnight, while Alien has once again used the evening hours to close the gap on leading boats.

Throughout the night, The Jackal charted a course closer to shore. But with weaker and more fickle winds there, it hasn't paid off.

Faster Forwards Matt Fahey commented this morning abeam of SE Cape, "It has been a frustratingly slow night across the bottom with very fickle breeze, but there are some promising signs of the breeze filling in this morning"

It's opened the door for Faster Forward, who’s chipped away at the lead and closed the gap down to 8 nautical miles. Alien had an even bigger gain, cutting their deficit to The Jackal in half, sitting now just 15 miles behind.

Those overnight moves have shaken up the standings on the AMS handicap: Alien is now in a very strong leading position, and The Jackal has slipped from second to third, at least for now!

Later today on the Southern coastline, the breeze is expected to build to around 25 knots. With wind coming from behind the boats, this should set up for a fast, exciting run toward the finish, likely with the big downwind sails flying.

Next up is the final test: the run into the Derwent River, where things can change quickly and winds can once again challenge.

Conditions in the Derwent look like a steady 7 to 10 knots with the wind direction oscillating between the south-east and south-west. The first boat currently predicted to arrive late afternoon.

With the leaderboard constantly changing with tacks and different strategies put into play and winds building, it's not a clear win as yet, so keep an eye on the tracker during today https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

 

Race Update December 29, 8pm (<100nm to go)

The Jackal, the Ker 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton, has done a great job to stay out in front and is the first boat to pass Maatsuyker Island. They’re currently 14nm ahead of the Sydney 38 Faster Forward, who in turn are 13nm ahead of Alien.

Earlier today, Alien looked very strong, at one point sitting just half a mile behind Faster Forward, with Alien struggling to find wind in the middle part of the day. That lull has opened the door for Faster Forward, and The Jackal has been quick to take advantage and extend the lead.

Further back, the heavier boats, Joan Lorraine and Vagabond, have found it tough to keep the speed up in these lighter conditions. Vagabond even headed west, away from the rhumb line, hunting for extra breeze, a gamble that so far doesn’t appear to have paid off.

All boats have spent the day beating into 7–10 knots of wind with winds predicted to lighten further tonight west of South East Cape.

As they pass South East Cape, they should find more stable conditions, setting up a more consistent beat around Bruny Island.

With The Jackal looking to pass South East Cape in the early hours of tomorrow, it's starting to look increasingly likely that they will take line honours with fewer chances left for boats behind to strike back.

As the race enters the final phase, attention now turns to the handicap battle. Based on race management data, current forecasts and past team performance, Alien is indicating a narrow lead with Faster Forward and The Jackal separated by a predicted three minutes on corrected time. With tired crews, any margin could quickly vanish depending on how they manage the deteriorating conditions.

One thing is clear: it’s still anyone’s race, and this last phase could be the most exciting yet. With the first boat predicted to finish tomorrow afternoon, stay tuned for our update tomorrow morning as we review the fleet’s overnight progress and keep an eye on the tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart...

 

Race Update December 28, 9 am (44 hours in and 160+ nm to the finish)

Overnight, the fleet has slowed as lighter conditions take hold, with the heavier boats feeling it most in recent hours. The Jackal continues to lead, although the gap has tightened to only a seven nautical mile advantage on Faster Forward.

With the breeze now swung to the east and south-east, the fleet is beating into light winds which are expected to build modestly through the afternoon. Navigation and crew work will be critical as they approach South West Cape, with The Jackal currently forecast to arrive in Hobart early hours of December 30th.

Alien has closed the gap between Faster Forward from 14 to 9 nautical miles. It's a well-oiled crew onboard Alien, this four-time overall winning yacht. Never to be underestimated, Brenan relishes the light air, where the less experienced crews may get tired and can make mistakes.

With a low to the East of Tasmania, a high down south of the fleet, and the Tasmanian landmass, microclimate wind shifts will occur, with Faster Forward geographically placed well to take full advantage of them.

With seventy-six Westcoasters between the Alien crew, could it be their superpower to finish the race strong? Keep an eye on the tracker! https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

RACE UPDATE December 28, 8 pm

Boats have been in good breeze all day, but now they face what could be their greatest challenge of the race. Navigating a weak and at times confused wind for the next 12 hours.

The Jackal is entering the dying breeze as we write, which gives trailing boats a brief chance to catch up before they too succumb to the change.

While the wind has remained reliably from the north to north-east throughout the day, providing running angles of around 150 degrees, a rapid shift is now forecast. The breeze is expected to swing east, before rotating further south-east, putting the fleet into oscillating headwinds directly between their current position and their next waypoint.

The race could be won and lost in how well each crew can navigate these complexities, with big gains possible for those who can get in phase with wind shifts and stay in phase into the late morning.

Whilst winds are predicted to die out. They should still have enough to sail with ranges between 3kt and 7kt. It's a debate whether these particular light conditions will favour the lighter, more nimble boats able to stay moving in light winds, or whether the momentum that larger boats can carry through temporary lighter patches will then.

At this stage, the first boat is expected to cross the finish line late afternoon tomorrow.

Keep an eye on the tracker as they approach Hobart https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart...

Race Update | Sunday 28 December 9am

There’s very little separating the fleet on corrected time as they make their way through the “slot” between King Island and the Tasmanian mainland.

Late yesterday, both Vagabond and Joan Lorraine opted for a more westerly route after clearing Port Phillip Heads.

With unfinished business in this race, Peter Garner, skipper of Joan Lorraine, a Beneteau Oceanis 46, is enjoying a strong run, averaging 7+ knots.  “The smooth seas and light breeze overnight made it very comfortable,” Garner said . “The increasing breeze this morning has given us a better pace as it’s backed onto the beam.”

Up front, positions remain unchanged, with Faster Forward still in pursuit of The Jackal, the leader finding a little extra speed overnight to extend a slender five-nautical-mile advantage. Further back, the western gamble taken by Vagabond, the Beneteau First 47.7 skippered by Andrew McConchie, appears to be paying off, with the gap closing to the experienced crew of Alien, now firmly in their sights.

With winds averaging 17 knots from the NNE, tactics will be critical later today as the breeze is forecast to swing more northerly before easing this evening.  

In these early stages, it's anyone's race, so keep an eye on the tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

 

Race Start Update | Saturday 27 December 1500hours

The Jackal / Photo by Neville Rose

The 53rd Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster is officially underway, with an exciting and competitive start unfolding on Port Phillip.

At the gun, Faster Forward was slightly early to the line and was recalled to complete a turn, opening the door for The Jackal to surge through and establish an early lead. Quick to recover, Faster Forward hoisted their Code Zero and rapidly closed the gap as the fleet charged toward the first mark. Approaching the rounding, The Jackal, holding a narrow advantage, successfully called for buoy room and led the fleet around the mark, setting the tone for what promises to be a closely fought competition.

The early duel continued as the fleet headed south, with The Jackal—a Kerr 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton—maintaining momentum to become first through the Heads, claiming the Port Phillip Sea Pilots Trophy, just ahead of Faster Forward. With the two rivals closely matched, the battle at the front is shaping up to be one of the highlights of this year’s race.