- Overall winner: Bumblebee 5, John Kahlbetzer/Iain Murray, NSW
- Line honors: Assa Abloy, Neil McDonald, Sweden — 2:20:46:43
Nearly 60 years of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race have lifted the event to premier world status.
Among yachtsmen, it's considered the Melbourne Cup of the Sea.
Back to race in 2001 was the previous year's winner, the Swedish maxi Nicorette, a firm favorite.
Also racing was the Australian yacht Brindabella which took line honors in 1997, the last time an Australian yacht won the event.
Since 1945 the US has provided the strongest international challenge with eight line honors, followed by New Zealand with five. Australian yachts have taken line honors on 32 occasions.
Ferocious storms
The 2001 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race started at 1pm in Sydney Harbour on December 26. First through the heads and into open sea was the Australian yacht News Corp which was also competing in the Volvo Ocean Race.
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an official leg of the Volvo Ocean Race and News Corp would only stop over briefly in Hobart before proceeding on to Auckland in New Zealand.
By late afternoon on December 26, Nicorette overtook News Corp and by 6pm both News Corp and the German yacht Illbruck were close on the heels of Nicorette.
Severe storms in the night off Jervis Bay forced Nicorette to heave to with a ripped mainsail which had to be replaced. Nicorette then resumed racing.
Many pull out of race
Reported hugging the lead at 7am on December 27 were the yachts Tyco, Illbruck and the Sydney downwind flyer Grundig.
By nightfall, the first three yachts were the round-the-world ocean racers Illbruck, News Corp and Tyco.
At least 11 yachts had by then already withdrawn from the race as a result of damage from the ferocious storms.
By 7am, December 28, the race leaders were still Illbruck, News Corp and Tyco, with News Corp in the lead. Nicorette was running fifth. Grundig had dropped out.
Tyco failed to meet a requirement of the race and was disqualified from winning the Sydney to Hobart race but this was not to affect its standing in the round-the-world ocean race. Tyco protested the disqualification.
And the winner is...
Shotly before 6pm, January 28, the five leading yachts (discounting Tyco) were Illbruck, News Corp, Djuice, Assa Abloy and Nicorette.
The disqualified Tyco was actually second behind Illbruck.
Crossing the line first on Saturday, December 29, was Assa Abloy, closely followed by Nicorette. Amer Sports One was third, followed by Tyco, Djuice, News Corp and Illbruck.
Assa Abloy completed the race in an elapsed time of two days, 20 hours and 46 minutes and 43 seconds -- a day outside Nokia’s 1999 record.
By New Year's Eve, the overall handicap winner was announced: the 62-footer Bumblebee 5 skippered by Iain Murray.
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