Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

22 December 2025


click on results image to see larger

CONGRATULATIONS bonknhoot !!!
CONGRATULATIONS Garagiste !!
CONGRATULATIONS BRENTGRAY !

Race Leaderboard

Reports

Commentary

The final Ocean Race of 2025 proved to be a truly memorable event. A fleet of 154 courageous skippers set out on this demanding 6,900-nautical-mile voyage, and by the time of writing, 125 competitors had successfully crossed the finish line. As is tradition for this Christmas race, the fleet explored no fewer than four distinct strategic routes:
1. North of the Philippines, continuing through the South China Sea
2. South of the Philippines, a myriad of options (boat #80, finishing 30 hours behind the winner)
3. South of Australia (boat #102, 82 hours behind) 4. Through the Torres Strait, boat #123, arriving roughly one week after the winner


The race began with a downwind start, raising the immediate question: port or starboard tack? Roughly 80% of the fleet opted for a port-tack start, committing to a north-westerly course aligned with strategies 1 or 2. The northern group remained largely cohesive, with only a handful of skippers occasionally deviating from the plan. In contrast, the south-western contingent appeared less settled, experimenting more with their routing choices. On Day 4, a significant split occurred within the main group when roughly one-third gybed southwest. This maneuver ultimately failed to deliver gains, and those boats rejoined the leaders approximately 100 nautical miles behind.

In the end, only about a dozen boats from the main pack chose to sail south of the Philippines. Once the fleet rounded the northern tip of Luzon, routing options narrowed considerably. The South China Sea delivered steady northeasterly winds, offering little opportunity for tactical divergence. One particularly bold skipper attempted an alternative route, but the gamble backfired, resulting in a loss of six positions. Further south, neither the Java Sea nor the Sunda Strait produced any decisive shifts in the standings. At the finish, competition at the front was fierce: the leading dozen boats arrived within just three hours, and an additional 61 competitors crossed the line within the 24 hours mark, underscoring the tight racing conditions throughout the fleet.

Comments are closed.

Comments have been closed for this post.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Los Roques 2026


It's winter but not in the Caribbean, so welcome to Venezuela's Islas Los Roques archipelago for a 20nm sprint through these beautiful islands. Take care with your mutinous crew, they may be tempted to BBQ and snorkel!
Race #2007
INFO by brainaid.de
SOTO 30 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
RANKING:
SPQ1 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Feb 07th 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cross the Convergence 2026 - Samoa to Hawaii


The second race of our new series of ocean voyages across the World’s convergence zones, takes us northward again up the Pacific Ocean, now from Samoa at 13.5 degrees South, across the Equator to Hawaii, famed for its breaking surf and active volcanoes, on the edge of the Tropic of Cancer at 19.5 degrees North. It’s 2300nm, so we’ll take our very steady Steinlager II. Race #1982
INFOby brainaid.de
Steinlager IIPARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: CCZ - SYC
Race starts: Feb 06th 18:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Beketov by Balloon 2026 - In Siberia


Way-back-when France and England, and Spain as well, were squabbling about who should control what of North America, only to lose the most of it to their own insurging colonists, their eastern European neighbour empire, Russia, was quietly assimilating vast, thinly nomadically populated territory of its own – Siberia! Amongst the many explorers and adventurers that served Russia so well in these conquests was the Cossack hetman Pyotr Beketov. Let’s pretend we’re he and eschewing horseback, let’s travel by balloon from Yekaterinberg to Krasnoyarsk – just a short 2000km (1100nm) section of the Trans-Siberian Express’ 9289km!
Race #1972
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

West Papua to Oregon 2026

Our next race in our Ocean Championships is the first of a series of great natural migrations we will track in 2026. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine reptile on planet Earth, and chooses to breed in warm tropical waters, but prefers to forage in more temperate habitats, travelling thousands and thousands of miles effortlessly annually to maintain this way of life. Our race will follow one of the typical trips of this turtle, from breeding grounds in the seas off West Papua to the coast of Oregon. It’s only 5900nm, so to keep up, but in comfort, we’ll follow in our Gunboat 90.
Race #2006
INFO by brainaid.de
GB 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - OCCH - MIG - SYC
Race starts: Feb 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Race to Up Helly Aa 2026

A-OI!!! The fiery spirit of Shetland’s legendary Up Helly Aa returns, and Sailonline’s annual race to Lerwick is once again upon us. Covering 383 nautical miles from Aberdeen, SOLers will tackle winter waters steeped in Viking tradition. This year, we race the classic Frers 33, a proven cruiser-racer born from the golden era of offshore racing and still a sturdy performer both on the virtual and real water. Can you master the course and reach Lerwick in time for the flames?

SAILING NOTE: Gruney may be approached from any direction but must be passed for rounding purposes as indicated on the chart.
Race #2005
INFO by brainaid.de
Frers 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
February 6 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client