Clockwork back in time for a fourth Rolex Sydney Hobart
by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 3 Jun 06:22 UTC
26 December 2026
Clockwork during the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race © Kurt Arrigo / Rolex
During the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Mary Ann Harvey, co-owner of the Sydney 38 Clockwork, struggled to remember why she signed up for the 628 nautical mile race for a fourth time.
The South Australian has competed in three Sydney Hobarts on board Clockwork (2023, 2024 and 2025), and one on board the Sydney 38 Audacious in 2019.
The toughest challenge yet
"I did think 42 hours into last year's race, I would never ever do it again because that first 42 hours was so tough," Harvey said. "For me, it was the toughest 42 hours I've spent at sea. It was relentlessly bashy on the nose.
"I felt like there was no end in sight."
And then, in the 43rd, 44th and 45th hours of the race, Harvey's doubts dissolved. The sun burst through the clouds, the winds became more favourable, the swell abated somewhat, nature hummed in her ear and with that the doubt fell away.
"The sun's out, the wind is behind you, there's some dolphins doing their thing," Harvey said. "And suddenly I realise this is why we do it — because when it's beautiful, it's beautiful."
In addition to the breathtaking natural scenery, Harvey, co-owner of the South Australian yacht with Andrew Lloyd, said she loves the satisfaction of overcoming hurdles as a crew.
"It's the challenge of the team pulling together and getting through the tough stuff," she said. "I don't do the Sydney Hobart for the hard stuff. I do it for the fun stuff and the challenge."
Clockwork's 2026 sailing calendar
Harvey said she is keen to kick off another season of racing, adventure and camaraderie, starting with the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta in Victoria over the June long weekend. Then there's the second half of the LGT Wealth Management Winter Series on Sydney Harbour every Sunday from mid-June to July.
Clockwork will then head north for the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race (25 July), the GCCM Southport to Mackay (500 nautical miles), all the Queensland race weeks, and the GaLS Regatta (Girls and Ladies Sailing) at Townsville Yacht Club. This packed itinerary will be squeezed in before the return to Sydney for the 81st Sydney Hobart.
Corinthian-run program
Harvey is proud of her and Lloyd's achievement as boat owners, as well as the dozens of crew members who have joined them on various legs of the journey since they bought the yacht with the distinctive orange steering wheel in 2022.
"For a budget, not sponsored, group of two, Andrew and I do an enormous amount of sailing around the coast and take a lot of people along for the ride with us, and that's something to be proud of," Harvey said.
Although they didn't maintain their 2024 Sydney Hobart Sydney 38 divisional win in 2025, Harvey was ecstatic to cross the finish line in an edition that saw 35 retirements from 128 starters. She is also proud of team Clockwork for completing the last three Sydney Hobarts (2023, 2024, 2025), a feat she believes few other boats, even the 100-footers, can claim without at least one retirement.
Harvey said she looks forward to adding the 2026 race to that tally.
"We do a lot of racing with all sorts of people, all around the country," Harvey said.
"We've been enjoying that over the last few years and are really looking forward to another eight months of adventure, with the Sydney Hobart towards the end of it."
How to enter
Registration for the most anticipated race on the international offshore sailing calendar is open until 1700 hours, Friday 23 October. More information here.