The Jackal sets the pace in 53rd Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

The summer sailing gods were certainly smiling over Portsea Pier today with the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race fleet lining up under azure skies on crystal clear waters for the start of the race down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart.

The fleet started the 53rd Westcoaster in a southerly breeze of 10 knots in ideal conditions for the fleet.

In stark contrast to the challenging wave state experienced by the Cock of the Bay fleet on Boxing Day, today’s conditions were a welcome relief for the sailors with weather models starting to align, forecasting stable weather patterns for the duration of the race.

The Jackal approaching the rounding mark before exiting Port Phillip Heads to claim the Port Phillip Sea Pilot’s Trophy / Photo by Al Dillon

As anticipated in the race preview, The Jackal, a Ker 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, would set the pace early being first across the line, giving a boost to Setton’s confidence sailing his first Westcoaster as skipper.

Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien and Andrew McConchie’s Beneteau First 47.7 Vagabond were hot on the heels of The Jackal as the fleet headed towards the first mark.

Faster Forward is farewelled by spectators in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38, Faster Forward, copped an individual recall for a little too much energy on the start line but was soon hunting down their archrival, The Jackal, and after setting their Code Zero, quickly made-up ground.

Joan Lorraine, the Beneteau Oceanis 46 skippered by Peter Garner from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, was close behind.

The Jackal held off Faster Forward at the first mark, asserting buoy room to be first around and claiming the Port Phillip Sea Pilot’s Trophy for first boat through Port Phillip Heads.

A tough duel is predicted between these two boats for the rest of the race.

The race day weather forecast was music to the ears of skippers and race newcomers with a high-pressure system giving rise to a stable weather pattern for the entire race, a welcome departure from the forecast earlier in the week which was predicting a low-pressure system to cause challenging conditions for the fleet.

Prevailing winds of 10 to 20 knots with a prediction that they will see no more than 30 knots of wind and 2-metre swells, will make for relatively smooth sailing conditions down the West Coast and into the Southern Ocean.

The crew of The Jackal cruising at 8-12 knots outside Port Phillip Heads / Photo by Matt Setton

Tactics and strategy are always key points of difference across the Westcoaster fleet and while the weather patterns look stable, the outcome of critical decision-making could be the key.

A wind transition zone is expected off Strahan, near Hells Gates, with a large lighter patch developing, offering skippers and navigators a tactical decision as to whether they go further offshore in search of more wind or sail closer to the shore looking for katabatic breeze.

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 

The Melbourne to Hobart "Westcoaster" Yacht Race is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania

Discover Tasmania (www.discovertasmania.com) / #discovertasmania / @Tasmania

Final Reminders – 2025 Melbourne to Hobart

Link for Weather Briefing

Race day Weather Briefing – 9.30am Saturday 27^th December online

Link to join online: Teams link: Race day weather briefing link

Container access in Hobart.  

The container will be housed in the carpark next to the Derwent Sailing Squadron (DSS) in Hobart.  Code for access can be requested from the Race Director via phone or text.  Please ensure all possessions are removed by 9am 3^nd January.

Have you done 10 Westcoasters?

If this will be your 10^th Westcoaster, please drop us an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. detailing which races you did for validation.  Just make sure they are all Westcoasters (not East unless the East was the year of the 100^thRudder Cup).

Tracking your progress

Each boat will have a race tracker.  Please ensure you have it onboard and switched on during the Cock of the Bay and check you can see your boat on 26^th December.

Your friends and family can track your progress via https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster.

Click here to see the Garmin tracker manual

Leave at Home Document

There is a Leave at Home document available on the race documents page for you to fill out and leave with family, friends, next of kin with details of the race. 

Creating memories and sharing the experience

Please join the competitor Whatsapp Channel which has been sent via SMS to you.  The best photo/video will win a prize.  This allows us to share your experiences with a wider audience in order to grow participation in ocean racing – so thank you. In sending images to the WhatsApp, we assume you have given us permission to share.

Please assign one person on each boat to take a crew shot prior to leaving the dock.

Arriving in Hobart

When you have arrived in Hobart and have berthed, we will pass you the Yellow Westcoaster caps, ask you to put on your race shirt so your crew can be photographed.  Once your declarations are completed too, you can sit back and enjoy a cold beer and hot National Pies.  

Presentation at the Derwent Sailing Squadron (DSS)

A combined Melbourne to Hobart and Lauceston to Hobart crews are invited to the Derwent Sailing Squadron at 12.30pm on December 31^st.  Cost is $20 per person, drinks at members rates, payment on the day.

The Race Presentation will be held as a joint presentation with the Derwent Sailing Squadron from 2.00pm on 31^st December.  Please wear your yellow cap and race shirt.

Hobart – The place to be

It’s a wonderful time to be in Hobart with activities galore for your friends and family and encourage you to bring them to Tasmania to enjoy all Hobart has to offer and be there for your arrival. See https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/ for information.

Hobart – Departure

Boats will need depart their berths no later than 1500 January 3

SheSails meet up event

SheSails is holding a meet-up event on New Years Eve, 10am – 12 noon at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. See here for details: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/313558?noskin=1

Sponsors and supporters

Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race - The West Coaster (M2H) is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

We thank On Track Meals for their generous support providing race prizes

We thank PredictWind for providing race prizes.

We thank National Pies for providing hot pies for our sailors at the finish line.

Grace Removals kindly supplied a container to transport spare gear to Hobart for the return journey.

Strait Link  generously transports our race van to and from Devonport and, this year, our Race Director will be accompanying the race van back from Devonport as a guest of Strait Link.

And the ongoing fabulous support from the Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat club (for the start assistance) and Derwent Sailing Squadron for all they do to host us in Hobart.

Testing the stealth of The Jackal in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Entries have closed for the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race with race newcomers and experienced race campaigners going head-to-head as they make the intrepid voyage down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart.

The Jackal at the start of the 2025 Melbourne to Devonport Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

The Jackal’s Matt Setton from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron will take the skipper’s role for the first time in the race and will be hoping to mirror the cunning, speed and stealth of the adaptable canine, as the Ker 11.3 vies for line honours and a handicap win.

Formerly known as Aikin and heralding from South Australia, The Jackal has been in Victoria since 2021 where she has undergone extensive updates and improvements including conversion to twin wheels in late 2024.

“We’ve spent the last four years getting the boat to Category 2, the crew ready, and we’ve also added some asymmetric kites to boost the wardrobe,” said Setton.

“It’s been some ten years since I did the Westcoaster on Jazz Player with this year’s race being my first as skipper.

Setton is an experienced ocean sailor with a dozen Sydney Hobarts and two Westcoasters under his belt, but he hasn’t competed in the Melbourne to Hobart for ten years.

Setton launched The Jackal’s offshore racing campaign in 2025 with the boat finishing third on AMS overall in the 2025 Melbourne to Devonport Rudder Cup, a strong achievement in what was a challenging and frustrating race.

“I was very pleased with how the boat and crew performed in the 2025 Devonport race,” said Setton, who feels that the boat will sail well in the Melbourne to Hobart given the right conditions.

“The Jackal is a great reaching and running boat for its length, which should suit the Westcoaster if the conditions are right, and we have winds from a west / south westerly direction.

“She’s [The Jackal] not as strong upwind which is why I see our real competition coming from Faster Forward as she’s a much better upwind boat,” said Setton.

Joining Setton include regular inshore crew and race first timers, Peter Grant and Ronald Piang Ng, along with experienced offshore sailors Jeffrey Whiteside, Nigel Fellowes-Freeman, Robert Buchanan, Stuart Addison and Thor Cembala.

While Setton acknowledges that the competition will be tough, what frightens the rookie skipper most is the River Derwent itself.

“Coming into the Derwent after dusk is perilous when the River shuts down, we are really hoping to avoid that happening,” said Setton.

Matt Fahey on the helm of Faster Forward / Photo by Michael Currie

As Setton alluded to, standing between The Jackal and a line honours win is Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38 Faster Forward, while Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien, with her wily skipper and seasoned crew, will heap the pressure on as they look for yet another handicap win.

Fahey, from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, is skippering his ninth Westcoaster and describes his team as a “small fleet specialist.”

With over 50 years of experience between his senior crew, Fahey has added a few newcomers to the mix including the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Beyond the Bay graduates, Drew Morgan and John Beardsley.

“We’ve taken on a few newer sailors and first timers on this race, but it’s balanced by experience.

“Both John and Drew showed promise and were adapting nicely as part of the crew, so I’ve given them a slot for this race, especially given we have some experience to balance what they lack,” said Fahey.

Fahey, a latecomer to sailing, started his career at age 36 years, when he was given an opportunity to join a crew back in 2006.

Fahey has paid this generosity back in spades since owning his own boat and is a strong supporter of sailors keen to develop their offshore experience within a safe and supportive team.

“I was given a chance on a boat called Hush back in 2006 having never sailed before but it was something that I had wanted to do from the age of 10.

“The skipper said that if you are as keen as you say you are, then we’ll give you a go.

“I did a race on Port Philip in July of that year, my first race to Western Port in the September and completed my first two Bass Strait crossings in the November, with virtually no experience in heavy weather, and then I was away.

“I’ve since spent the rest of my time giving people the opportunity to go sailing later in life,” said Fahey.

Fahey, who held the prestigious Heemskerk Trophy aloft following his handicap win in 2021, has his competitive eye on The Jackal in this year’s race, but knows you underestimate Alien at your peril.

“The Jackal could be the stand-out, it’s a Kerr 11.3 which is a great reaching boat, but Alien is a strong and seasoned campaigner with a solid, mature crew and will be a hard one to beat,” said Fahey.

Vagabond sailor Natalie Reidy and skipper Andrew McConchie all set for the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo taken onboard Vagabond

Andrew McConchie, skipper of the Beneteau First 47.7 Vagabond, is slowly but surely building his crew and his offshore experience, with the 2025 event his fourth Westcoaster.

McConchie, a strong supporter and volunteer of the ORCV who also offers newcomers an opportunity to train on the boat and to participate in safety at sea events, is keen to take on the 2025 Westcoaster.

“It’s an unusual race, with changing conditions and a race track that offers such variety and the only one that offers true Southern Ocean racing,” said McConchie.

Natalie Reidy is one of the newcomers onboard Vagabond and is excited and apprehensive in equal measure.

“I’m feeling excited and a little nervous in the best possible way.

“It’s a big step into offshore racing, but I feel incredibly supported by the crew and grateful for the opportunity to learn.

“There’s a real sense of anticipation building— this race represents a big personal milestone for me, so I’m feeling determined, open to learning, and genuinely proud to be taking on a challenge of this scale.

“I’m excited about the challenge of the course and experiencing the diverse conditions that come with sailing Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean.

“I can’t wait to contribute … grow in confidence… and of course, cross the finish line in Hobart for the first time with Andrew and the team,” said Reidy.

Justin Brenan, skipper of the Lidgard 36 Alien, has competed in 15 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Races and is a five-time overall winner.

For Brenan, getting the first stage of the race right can be the difference between winning and losing.

“The Westcoaster is a tactical and interesting race; first you need to get across Bass Strait which is generally windward work, and the strategy and timing to pass between Tasmania and King Island is critical.

“In my view, if you time it right, you are setting yourself up for a win.

“If we get through the gap between Tasmania and King Island and are about halfway in the fleet, we are in with a good chance of winning.

“Although the fleet is small this year, it’s going to be very competitive and will come down to how well your crew work together, especially in light conditions over such a long race,” said Brenan.

Since acquiring Alien, which incidentally was built to withstand the challenges of the Southern Ocean, Brenan has sailed over 26,000 nautical miles across ten years, with largely the same crew.

Onboard Alien for the 2025 race are Michael Noy, Calum Brenan, Ben Tyrrell and Andrew Vincent, who all have over 10 Westcoasters to their name, Glen Cowan, and Katrina Hartman and Allison Wetzels, both “very experienced women in sailing.”

Joan Lorraine expects to be among the action in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Michael Currie

Peter Garner will be skippering the Beneteau Oceanis 46, Joan Lorraine once again, and will be looking for a better outcome than last year after retiring with a broken boom as they approached Storm Bay.

“Looking back, I think I reacted too quickly and could have jury rigged a boom to finish the race,” said Garner.

Joan Lorraine, named after Garner’s mother who didn’t get to travel much, is generally a cruising boat, but the skipper was keen get into offshore racing as part of his own development.

“I’m largely a cruiser sailor at heart and entered ocean racing to build character, improve my skills and reflect on it being Type 2 fun.

“We aren’t hard core ocean racers but do love to just sail,” said Garner.

The Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race is the highest-ranking race in the ORCV's Offshore Championship Series.

The 435 nautical mile yacht race from Portsea Pier down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart starts at 1:30pm (AEST) on Saturday the 27th of December 2025.

Follow the boats via Blue Water Tracks at https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster.

By Jane Austin / ORCV Media

On Track Meals ORCV Exclusive Discounts

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These exclusive bundles can only be purchased through the above links.