Name: LawConnect leads fleet as Sydney to Hobart sets off
Uploaded: 2025-12-26T06:52:42.317Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: Almost 130 yachts have set sail in the 80th Sydney to Hobart race, gearing up for a rough ride ahead. Two-time defending champion LawConnect has thrown the first punch at rivals, once again the first boat out of Sydney Harbour.

Almost 130 yachts have set sail in the 80th Sydney to Hobart race, gearing up for a rough ride ahead. Two-time defending champion LawConnect has thrown the first punch at rivals, once again the first boat out of Sydney Harbour.

Council of the City of Sydney

The annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race has started, with 129 crews setting off from Sydney Harbour. Participants are bracing for cold and wet conditions, with both experienced and first-time international sailors among the competitors. 

Law Connect took an early lead as the fleet encountered strong Southerly winds, challenging even the largest boats. The race is expected to be tough, with reigning champions asserting dominance early, but the outcome remains uncertain as crews face a long and difficult night ahead.

LawConnect leads fleet as Sydney to Hobart sets off

All hands on deck in Sydney as 129 crews get ready to roll to Hobart. Colour coordinated and all as they say their final goodbyes ahead of what's set to be a chilly one on and in the water. Very, very good about being on a boat like this tonight. It's going to be nice and cold. I can either switch it to aircon or heating down here. I think it's going to be aircon because there's a few bodies in here. Some with the luxury of the Boxing Day test as background noise and fresh food. Got the goods. An all-Kiwi crew ready to kick the rum bucket. Woo-hoo! Yeah! We're from New Zealand, so a bit of cold doesn't worry us too much. With the great race drawing first-timers from across the globe. If you're a golfer, you want to play the Masters. So if you're a sailor, you want to do the Sydney Hobart. Conditions throwing off the veterans in the Super Maxis. Max Verstappen likes it when it's rainy. We like it when it's really rough. So this forecast is a little bit rough, but it's probably not rough enough to make it that likable win, unfortunately. The Law Connect, I think, will be really good tonight. Scallywag will be pretty good. Hopefully, we're right up and amongst it. But it's going to be a management exercise and it's going to be cold, wet and pretty unpleasant sailing. Put a bit of extra weight in the boat, like just all our spares, which is helpful in the big seaway. All to be settled at the firing of the cannon. The gun goes! Bidding Sydney Harbour farewell. After all the trash talk this week, it's Law Connect who is charged to the front and is set to be first out of the heads, where the fleet will be met head-on by a strong Southerly. Stopping even the biggest of boats in their tracks and leaving smaller ones battling, with the reigning champions asserting their dominance early. So Tony Mudd has done it again for Christian Beck. First to sea and points about towards Hobart. Can she retain that lead? Well, there's a long way to go. A long night awaits. Brooke East, 10 News.

President Donald Trump has said the US launched a "powerful and deadly strike" against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. In a Christmas evening post on his social media platform, Trump offered no operational details and did not specify the scale of damage inflicted or the number of militants targeted in the operation.

Washington

Trump announces U.S. Strike on Islamic state targets in Nigeria

Official results show Asfura edged out his main rival Salvador Nasralla by less than one percentage point. Marred by delays and fraud claims, the Honduran election continues Latin America's shift to the right.

Tegucigalpa

Honduras: Trump ally Nasry Asfura wins disputed presidency

Several people were killed in Southern California when severe storms with heavy rain caused mudslides and flooding, which was made worse in areas affected by wildfires in January.

Heavy rain, flooding turns deadly in California

The U.S. Department of Justice says it has found more than a million more documents potentially tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, delaying a full release for weeks while officials redact details to protect victims.

DOJ reviews over 1 million newly found Epstein documents

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Christmas Mass Wednesday evening where he described the celebration as a feast of "faith, charity and hope". He reminded the faithful that refusing to help the poor and vulnerable is comparable to rejecting God altogether.

Rome

Pope Leo reminds believers to help the poor in first Christmas mass

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled progress in a Ukraine-Russia peace plan, after he told journalists about a new draft that would include a free economic zone and demilitarization. Holly Williams has the latest.

Kyiv

Zelenskyy signals progress with Ukraine-Russia peace plan

Democrats and some Republicans are blasting the Justice Department over its handling of the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, which included major redactions.

U.S. lawmakers blast DOJ over Epstein files release

Bolsonaro is expected to undergo the procedure on 25 December.

Brasília

Brazil's ex-president Bolsonaro temporarily leaves prison for surgery

Two police officers have been killed in an explosion in Moscow, Russian investigators said on Wednesday. Their deaths come just two days after a car bomb killed a top general in the same area of the Russia capital.

Moscow

Three people killed in Moscow car explosion, Russian authorities say

European intelligence agencies say investigations into Russian interference now consume as much time as terrorist threats.

Paris

Pro-Russian hackers claim French postal service cyberattack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country and the United States have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the conflict with Russia — but sensitivities around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland and the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain unresolved.

Ukraine Invasion

U.S., Ukraine reach consensus on some key issues to end war with Russia

The latest Epstein file release alleges a connection between former prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell, including emails in which an individual identified as 'A' requested 'inappropriate friends.'

London

Latest Epstein release alleges new link to ex-prince Andrew

The US and Venezuela are in a war of words at the UN Security council following America's seizure of ships off Venezuela's coast. Venezuela's ambassador strongly condemned the U.S. actions, labeling them as extrajudicial executions and a military blockade intended to destabilize the country.

New York

U.S., Venezuela in war of words at UNSC over military strikes

Two people are dead after an explosion at a nursing home in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and several are still missing, Gov. Josh Shapiro said.

Bristol

Two dead, several missing after nursing home explosion in Pennsylvania

A Delaware state trooper was killed Tuesday during a shooting at a Wilmington DMV, the Delaware State Police said. The state's governor confirmed the shooter is also dead.

Wilmington

Delaware state trooper killed in DMV shooting, officials say

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that President Trump cannot deploy the National Guard troops to Chicago as a legal challenge moves ahead.

Supreme Court blocks deployment of National Guard to Illinois

The Justice Department released a new trove of documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including an email from a prosecutor indicating President Donald Trump had traveled aboard his private jet "many more times than previously has been reported."

Trump flew on Epstein jet 8 times according to newly released files

The Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash after leaving Turkey's capital Ankara, the prime minister of Libya's internationally-recognized government said, adding that four others were on the jet as well.

Haymana

Libyan army's chief dies in plane crash in Turkey

Two men have been found guilty of plotting to kill hundreds in an Islamic State-inspired gun rampage against the Jewish community in England, a planned attack investigators say demonstrates the resurgent risk posed by the militant group.

Bolton

Two men found guilty of UK plot to kill Jews as IS fears grow

The FDA has approved the pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, the first oral medication of its kind. The new pills are expected to be available in a few weeks.

FDA approves Wegovy pill, first prescription pill for weight loss

French Parliament has approved the Stopgap Bill two days before Christmas. The budget bill now moves to French senate.

Parijs

French Parliament approves Stopgap Bill: Budget bill moves to senate

Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday, officials said. At least three people were killed, including a 4-year-old child, two days before Christmas.

Kiev

Russia carries out massive drone attack on Ukraine's energy sector

The U.S. Department of Justice has released another batch of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including videos, emails and documents. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reports.

U.S. Justice Department releases new trove of Epstein files

The leaders of Denmark and Greenland insisted that the United States won't take over Greenland and demanded respect for their territorial integrity after President Donald Trump ‍​announced ​the appointment of a ‌special envoy to the semi-autonomous territory.

Nuuk

Trump's appointment of envoy to Greenland sparks tension with Denmark

Australia's most populous state is set to pass tougher gun laws, ban the display of terrorist symbols and curb protests after the state parliament's lower house cleared a bill late on Monday (December 22) in an emergency sitting following the Bondi mass shooting.

Australia's NSW to tighten gun, hate speech laws after Bondi attack

On Monday, President Trump announced a new class of Navy battleships he's calling the "Golden Fleet." The president said two vessels will be built in the short term, with plans to expand to up to 25.

Trump unveils plans for new fleet of advanced Navy battleships

China's foreign ministry on Monday (December 22) said the United States' seizure of another country's ships was a serious violation of international law, after the U.S. intercepted a China-bound oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.

Beijing

China says U.S. ship seizures ‘serious violation' of international law

A Russian general was killed by an explosive device underneath his car in Moscow, according to Russian investigators, who say Ukraine's intelligence services may have orchestrated the attack. Ukraine has not commented.

Russian general killed in car explosion

The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, officials told Reuters on Sunday (December 21), in what would be the third operation in less than two weeks if successful.

Caracas

U.S. pursuing third oil tanker near Venezuela, officials say

At least 15 documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were initially made public have been pulled from the Justice Department website. The agency says it will keep reviewing and redacting materials to "protect victims."

Breakdown