The Shorthanded Ocean Racing Association of Australia Inc (SHORAA) has announced the Race Around Australia 2028 (RAA), a double-handed yacht race, forty years after and in the spirit of the 1988 Bicentennial race.
The RAA will sail over 7,000nm with five legs, four stopovers and two sprint stages with pit stops. The start will be in Sydney in August 2028, with teams heading North to the Whitsundays, Darwin, Fremantle and Hobart before returning to Sydney in November 2028.
The Expected Course – RAA
The Chair of SHORAA, Guy Chester said the Race Around Australia will sail through three oceans around Australia’s rugged coastline. From the trade winds of the Great Barrier Reef, past Cape York and Arnhem Land, to the desolate north west coast before passing the rugged Cape Leeuwin.
From there the anticlockwise lap will continue across the Great Australian Bight to the roaring forties and into Hobart, Tasmania, then cross the infamous Bass Strait to the finish back in Sydney.
“From conception of the race, safety has been our number one concern and we have adopted stringent safety standards with Australia Sailing’s safety Category 1 plus additional safety items, crew training and a qualifying voyage,” said Guy Chester.
The 1988 Bicentennial Race was won by the legendary Sir Peter Blake and Mike Quilter aboard the sixty-foot trimaran Steinlager 1.
1988 Steinlager – Courtesy Don McIntyre
“Yeah, 7,000 miles, it’s not a Sydney Hobart, you know, it’s as much an adventure as it is a race,” recounted Mike Quilter. “It’s a long way, and you’re out in the back of beyond, so you’ve got to be pretty self-sufficient, and you’re going to have a few problems,”.
“Catherine and I raced ‘John West’ around Australia in 1988. We will do it again in 2028 – this time with Catherine as land crew and one of our children as co-skipper,” said fellow Bicentennial racer Dr Gavin LeSuer. “When I asked, she said ‘You’re dreaming mate’”.
“Around Australia with two people is the ultimate adventure sail,” he continued. “From the tropics to the roaring 40’s. I was there in 1988 and will be there again 40 years later in 2028. Excited!”
Verbatim – Great Australian Bight storm 1988 – © Ian Johnston
The race is open to multihull and monohull yachts 40-60 feet with some smaller fast and seaworthy monohulls potentially eligible to enter. The race will have IRC (Monohull) and OMR (multihull) divisions and PHRF handicaps.
Additionally there is a unique PredictWind Navigation Challenge which can be competed for across the fleet by predicting finish times prior to each leg. Yachts will have trackers and be required to submit regular pictures and video updates enabling fans to watch live progress.
Roaring Forty – Southern Ocean – © Royal Australian Airforce
“It has been great to see the enthusiasm of all in conceiving the race and establishing SHORAA,” said Guy Chester. “With Lisa Blair OAM and Don McIntyre as our Patrons, we will honour the 1988 race while adopting current safety standards. Add to that modern communications and we expect to create a great event for competitors and fans.”
The Preliminary Notice of Race is now published, and the formal Notice of Race will be available in August next year.
Expressions of interest will open in March and yachts that meet the stringent eligibility requirements will be offered provisional entrant status.
“Doc Gav, SHORAA’s treasurer and 1988 racer is already nominated as entrant number 1, and he is already looking for the right boat for the Race!” Chester finished.
Key Dates: Expression of Interest will open in March 2026, the Notice of Race will be published by 1 August 2026. The race starts in August 2028.
For more information
Race Around Australia: www.racearoundaustralia.au
Shorthanded Ocean Racing Association of Australia: www.shoraa.org
More information on SHORAA
A group of experienced sailors recently formed the Shorthanded Ocean Racing Association of Australia. They are: Chair – Guy Chester (150,000nm, two circumnavigations mostly solo, ran the Louisiades Yacht Rally 2007-2013); Secretary – Don Cortis (Atlantic crossings, Commodore Yorkeys Knob Boating Club); Treasurer – Gavin LeSueur (100k nm,1988 Race); and the committee: Ian Johnston: (150k nm,1988 Race, SoloTransTasman), John Cadwallader (200k nm,1988 Race); Kevin Le Poidevin (90k nm, Globe Solo Challenge, Melbourne to Osaka, SoloTransTasman, RSHYR Doublehanded), Mark Hipgrave (Melbourne to Osaka, SoloTransTasman, Solo Fastnet, RSHYR Doublehanded) and Bruce Arms (current fastest solo sailor around Australia).
SHORAA also has experienced advisors Sharon Ferris Choat, Jon Henry and Nic Douglass.
SHORAA have Lisa Blair OAM and Don McIntyre as their Patrons to offer guidance and support for the Race Around Australia 2028. Lisa holds many solo sailing records including around Antarctica and around Australia aboard her yacht Climate Action Now; and Don McIntyre who ran the 1988 Bicentennial Around Australia Yacht Race, has had many extreme sailing adventures and created the Golden Globe, Ocean Globe and Mini Globe around the world races.
