Vixen Racing, the New Zealand-flagged entry in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, has retired from the race following a crew injury. At the time of withdrawal, the boat was recorded approximately 48 nautical miles east of Montague Island. Skipper Sharon Ferris-Choat and her crew made the decision with the wellbeing of those on board taking clear precedence over the result.
The retirement follows a campaign that had been under pressure from the opening moments. The modified Verdier 40 ran into trouble at the very start when the A2 spinnaker failed to deploy as the fleet cleared Sydney Heads, leaving Vixen Racing without momentum while the rest of the field pushed south. The crew were in damage-limitation mode almost immediately.
"After a horrible start with our A2 failing to deploy, we're clawing our way back," Ferris-Choat told Boating New Zealand.
By 9am AEST, Vixen Racing was making 8 knots over the ground on a 139-degree course in 15.6 knots of true wind from 166 degrees, the crew steadily working to close the gap on the fleet. Conditions offshore offered little respite as the race wore on. Overnight the breeze eased but the sea state stayed rough, with the hull taking a sustained pounding.
"Life on board feels like walking like a crab," Ferris-Choat reported, noting that stronger conditions were expected ahead, with winds forecast to build to around 30 knots.
Through those demanding hours, Vixen Racing kept finding ground on the fleet. The boat was tracking at around six knots with 497.7 nautical miles still to run to Hobart, sitting approximately 38 nautical miles east of Batemans Bay, and sat 61st on line honours and 11th in IRC Division 2, a genuine turnaround from the difficult start.
The crew had remained in good shape throughout. The retirement will sting after such a determined effort. Sharon Ferris-Choat and the entire Vixen Racing team are in our thoughts.
Standings
At 3:30PM NZT / 27 December 2025
| Category | Placing |
|---|---|
| Line Honours | 57 |
| IRC | 80 |
| IRC - Div 2 | 11 |
