Start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to be Webcast Live Around the World via Yahoo!7

In what is regarded as a world first for the sport of yachting, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that the Seven Network and Yahoo!7, will provide a live 90 minute webcast of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to a global audience.

This means that in addition to Seven Network's live television broadcast in Australia, anyone, in any country around the world will be able to watch the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race provided they have a computer and broadband internet access from 12.30pm AEST until 2:00pm AEST.

With spectator numbers on Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour foreshore expected to reach around 500,000 people, together with Seven Network’s Australia wide television audience of 500,000 viewers, and the addition of Yahoo!7’s national and international audience reach, it is predicted that the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be one of the most viewed sporting events in the world in the month of December.

CYCA Commodore Matt Allen today announced, “I am delighted to announce this wonderful initiative and a first for the sport of yachting through our broadcaster Seven Network in which we have extended the rights for the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race to incorporate a live webcast on Yahoo!7. This enables a truly global audience to view the race start – and with the large number of international entrants in this year’s race, this will generate an even greater worldwide interest to one of the world’s most iconic ocean races.”

Saul Shtein, Seven Network Head of Sport commented “Seven Network and Yahoo!7 is delighted to work with the CYCA to extend both the broadcast and webcast of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. With Yahoo!7’s video streaming technology, we are now able reach a global audience who otherwise would have had to rely on edited news vision and photographs to see the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race”.

Kath Hamilton, General Manager, Media for Yahoo!7 said, “Yahoo!7 Sport’s audience has grown enormously in 2008 on the back of our comprehensive coverage of international sporting events the calibre of the Olympics Games, Australian Open and Melbourne Cup Carnival. This new initiative means that Australians who are away from their television and people right around the world can now view the race start. It is exciting for our users and our business and it’s the perfect event for us to end the year with.”

In addition to the live 90 minute broadcast and webcast, Seven Network and Yahoo!7 will be presenting up to 4 race updates per day until the overall winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is determined. 

Seven Network’s broadcast will be hosted by Gordon Bray and yachting expert Rob Brown. Gordon has a long association with the race, including making the journey by sea six times onboard the radio relay vessel. Rob Brown is a highly regarded yachtsman with nine Rolex Sydney Hobarts under his belt and is a former 18-foot skiff world champion and was part of the winning Australia II crew in the 1983 America’s Cup.

To see all the colour and action of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race tune into the Seven Network or the official race website www.rolexsydneyhobart.com and follow the links to www.yahoo7.com.au/sport from 12.30pm AEST on 26 December 2008.