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• Addiction, Victoria
• Bacardi , Victoria
• Chikara, Victoria
• Mr Beaks, NSW
• Yeah Baby, NSW

Addiction, Bacardi and Yeah Baby all competed in the landmark 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart race last year. This will be Addiction's sixth Rolex Sydney Hobart, Yeah Baby's second trip south and Bacardi will notch up its 24th Boxing Day start.

Mr Beaks, sailing under the sponsor name First National Real Estate, was the Overall IRC winner of the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when skippered by Michael SPIES. A syndicate has been formed to race the boat as Mr Beaks in this race.

This year, SPIES has entered his Beneteau 44.7 Sirromet Life Style which raced as First National Real Estate in 2004.

Hailing from Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC), Chikara has been extensively raced offshore and knows the southern waters well. The boat has competed in two Melbourne-Hobarts, a Gosford to Lord Howe Island and races from Queenscliff to Port Fairy, including honours for line and handicap winner in the 2003 Queenscliff-Port Fairy. Chikara was also the winner on handicap in this year's Queenscliff- Apollo Bay race. During the winter, Chikara finished second in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria's Bavaria Winter Series and was again second in the RGYC's winter series.

Of the 25 yachts lining up for tonight's start of the Cabbage Tree Island race, 19 are entered in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The race is a qualifier event for the Rolex Sydney Hobart and will be utilized as a preparatory event for crews gearing up for the long haul to Tasmania. Among the smaller boats, the race provides valuable overnight racing experience while the larger boats can fine tune their technical systems and improve the crew's knowledge of new equipment.

Applications for entry to the Rolex Sydney Hobart have now officially closed. Late applications for entry will be accepted until 18 November, however a late fee will apply.

For all the news on the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race CLICK HERE.