The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has confirmed the commentary team that will bring the 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to audiences across Australia, combining established sailing voices, Olympic medallists and some of the country’s most experienced sports broadcasters.
The Boxing Day broadcast will feature Matt Hill, Peter Shipway, Olivia Price, Lisa Darmanin and two-time America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill. Coverage on Nine, the 9Now app and CYCATV via YouTube will begin at 1230hrs on 26 December, ahead of the 1300hrs race start.
For Hill, the appointment marks his first Rolex Sydney Hobart broadcast and follows the retirement of legendary Australian broadcaster Gordon Bray AM at the conclusion of last year’s race. With a career spanning horse racing, AFL, the Olympics, tennis and other major sporting events, Hill brings a broad broadcasting background to one of Australia’s most recognised sporting occasions.
Alongside him, Peter Shipway brings decades of sailing commentary experience, while Olympic medallists Olivia Price and Lisa Darmanin add elite racing insight to the broadcast. Jimmy Spithill, a two-time America’s Cup winning skipper and one of sailing’s most recognised names, also returns to the commentary team following his involvement in the 2025 Nine broadcast.
CYCA Commodore David Jacobs said the combination of experience and expertise would provide audiences with a strong perspective across the fleet.
Beyond the Boxing Day start, the commentary team will continue the CYCA’s multi-platform coverage from Hobart between 27 and 31 December. The programme will include twice-daily live shows on CYCA TV, regular news updates and social media coverage, extending the storytelling beyond the race itself and into the fleet’s arrival in Hobart.
The build-up will also feature live CYCA TV coverage of the Cabbage Tree Island Race on 4 December and the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on 8 December, with Hill, Shipway and Price joining the coverage.
The 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart will therefore be supported by a broadcast operation spanning the lead-up, Boxing Day start and the fleet’s arrival in Hobart — bringing the stories of the race and its competitors to audiences across multiple platforms.
