5th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Defender	Morna
Number of Yachts	15
Coordinates	33°51.35′S 151°12.40′E- 42°52.7′S 147°19.58′E
Winner	Waltzing Matilda
Official Website	http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/default.asp

The 1949 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, was the 5th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...

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Hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, established in 1944 is known as one of Australia's premier yacht clubs, and is acknowledged as one of the leaders in ocean racing in the country...

 based in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, the 1949 edition began on Sydney Harbour, at Noon

Noon

Noon is usually defined as 12 o'clock in the daytime. The word noon is also used informally to mean midday regarding the location of the sun not the middle of a persons day. Although this is a time around the middle of the day when people in many countries take a lunch break...

 on Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

 (26 December 1949), before heading south for 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) through the Tasman Sea

Tasman Sea

The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...

, past Bass Strait

Bass Strait

Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...

, into Storm Bay

Storm Bay

Storm Bay is a large bay in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. It is the entrance to the Derwent River estuary and the port of Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania.It is bordered by Bruny Island to the west and the Tasman Peninsula to the east....

 and up the Derwent River

Derwent River (Tasmania)

The Derwent is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent, Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes who explored it in 1793. The name is Brythonic Celtic for "valley thick with oaks"....

, to cross the finish line in Hobart

Hobart

Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

, Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

.

The 1949 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race comprised a reduced fleet of 15 competitors. Waltzing Matilda, skippered by Phil Davenport won line honours in a time of 5 days, 10 hours and 33 minutes - breaking the three year hold on the event by Claude Plowman's Morna. Trade Winds, skippered by Mervyn Davey was awarded handicap honours on adjusted time.

1949 Fleet

15 yachts registered to begin the 1948 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. They are:

Yacht	Nation	Owner	Skipper	Launch Year

Results

Line Honours	LH (Elapsed) Time d:hh:mm:ss	Handicap Handicapping Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...  Winner	HW (Corrected) Time d:hh:mm:ss
Waltzing Matilda	5:10:33:00	Trade Winds

See also

• Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...