How Elon Musk’s technology has revolutionised the race

About 6pm on Boxing Day, boat captain Tim Sellars will be out on the open ocean vying for his fourth win in the Sydney to Hobart. He vows that exactly five hours after leaving the race’s starting line – and regardless of the conditions – he’ll be tuning in to watch the cricket.

It’d be unbelievable if not for the fact that earlier this month, Sellars made the promise to Sydney Sixers batsman Lachie Shaw and Melbourne Stars bowler Liam Hatcher. Sellars gave the cricketers, who will meet in the Big Bash League’s Boxing Day match, a tour of the 70-foot URM Group yacht.

If Sellars can keep that promise it’ll be thanks to Elon Musk. In 2019, Musk’s SpaceX started sending low orbiting satellites into the atmosphere, creating a system of more than 7600 to enable global internet broadband.

The system is known as Starlink and Musk launched the maritime service in 2022. Originally sold at a steep price, terminals are now a few thousand dollars and have revolutionised navigation aboard the Sydney to Hobart fleet.

The race’s most-decorated female sailor, Adrienne Cahalan, referenced the technology at the race’s media launch saying her role as navigator has changed completely since her first one 40 years ago.

“In my first race there were no GPS, it was all done on paper charts and now in 2025 we have Starlink and complete open access communications and weather information,” she said.

While Starlink was added to the URM Group to help with more important aspects of sailing including for navigation, Sellars has promised that even in the midst of an intense 48-hour race, he’ll be able to stream the cricket match between his new friends, Hatcher and Shaw.

“It’s all Starlink. We can sit there and watch the cricket while we’re racing,” Sellars said. And if the weather conditions are rough? “It depends on how much you like your phone.”

In the worst of conditions, Sellars will settle for cricket on the radio.