Yachts taking part in the Boxing Day Sydney to Hobart race scattered rose petals in the sea as they passed Bondi Beach.
They did so in a touching tribute to the victims of the Islamic terror attack which claimed the lives of 15 people and injured many more.
You can watch footage below from supermaxi LawConnect, where its owner, Christian Beck, and Olympic champion, Ian Thorpe, pay their respects.
Rose petals scattered on rough seas – that will be the enduring image of this year’s Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As supermaxi LawConnect sailed past Bondi Beach on Friday afternoon, owner Christian Beck and Olympian Ian Thorpe released the petals into the water as a tribute to… pic.twitter.com/ct4NccHwkH
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) December 26, 2025
A titanic battle is playing out as the fleet in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race heads south. There was time though for a touching tribute as they sailed past Bondi Beach. The crews of 15 boats casting rose petals into the sea. pic.twitter.com/4r1UMg0Qfj
— 7NEWS Queensland (@7NewsBrisbane) December 26, 2025
The tribute was discussed before the race. As the organisers said:
‘The tribute we mentioned for the tragic events in Bondi has been very well received by the Jewish community, but also internationally recognised worldwide, and obviously here in Australia.
‘For many competitors, the moment will provide a pause for reflection early in a race more commonly associated with speed, rivalry, and endurance.
‘Just hours after the start, as spinnakers are hoisted and the fleet accelerates south, the scattering of petals will briefly shift attention away from tactics and weather to remembrance and solidarity.’
For the supermaxis, this has been one hell of a race. Over a quarter retired before the end citing poor conditions. This certainly was not one of the roughest races, but it was fast…
After finishing in Hobart, Thorpe spoke fondly of their boat leading out of the heads and the lurching three-to-four metre swells. In the end, the early lead did not hold.
Master Lock Comanche claimed line honours on Sunday night for the 80th Sydney to Hobart. It took two days, five hours, three minutes and 36 seconds.
‘What a race. This year, it was on. It was neck and neck. This is a 100-foot boat. The mast is 150 feet high. The whole boat’s made of carbon,’ said the co-owner and co-skipper.
‘Master Lock Comanche is the most iconic boat in the world. To get through those conditions … are pretty brutal at times. When you’re spearing off waves that are 10-15 metres, and then landing, and the whole boat just shatters, I think to myself, “How do I explain this to people who aren’t here?”’
LawConnect wasn’t far behind, crossing the finish line in second place followed by SHK Scallywag 100, Lucky, Palm Beach XI, and Celestial V70.
We still don’t know the overall winner.
‘What a crazy race!’ said runner-up skipper, Chris Nicholson, from LawConnect.
This was the second-closest finishes in the race’s history. Master Lock Comanche co-skipper Matt Allen described his experience:
‘We wanted to really defend from inside the coast, closer to the coastline. That eventually worked for us, the breeze filled in from inshore and we got the lead back and just extended throughout the day. Everyone stayed really calm. We stayed with the game plan and the game plan worked, so it was fantastic. Absolutely amazing.
‘We had a great lead during the race. It evaporated this morning and we had to have effectively have a restart. We’ve never seen anything like that in the Sydney to Hobart race where all boats were so close together, really on day two. To win it twice makes it even more special.’
