Sails Out, Wharf Reborn 

As the Sydney to Hobart fleet sets sail on Boxing Day, Ovolo Sydney’s own transformation is under way on Finger Wharf. 

Every Boxing Day, Sydney Harbour fills with sails. At 1pm, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will start at Nielsen Park, sending the fleet out through the Heads and 628 nautical miles south to Hobart. Hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and run since 1945, the race celebrated its 80th year last summer with a fleet of 142 boats, 17 of them from overseas. 

On shore, picnic rugs claim every patch of foreshore with a view. On the water, boats of every size trail the fleet towards the Heads. Then, almost as quickly as they arrived, the sails slip over the horizon, and the city eases into the slow rhythm of the summer holidays. 

Back on Finger Wharf, a different kind of transformation’s taking shape. Built in 1915 at the height of Australia’s wool trade, the world’s longest timber-piled wharf is home to Ovolo Sydney, now in the middle of its most significant evolution yet. 

Guest rooms are the first to be reimagined, drawing on the wharf’s heritage through rich timbers, sculptural lighting and textures that nod to the wool bales once stacked along these boards. New and improved suites follow, each with a private balcony over Woolloomooloo Bay and top-of-the-line wellness features, alongside new cocktail bars and private cellars. 

Watch the fleet set off for Hobart, then retreat somewhere that stays firmly moored. No sea legs required.