ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE

Where: Sydney, Australia

Play along: You shouldn't need a reason to visit Sydney, but if you're going to fly halfway around the globe, you may as well do it when the entire city has the day off and is primed to play. Every year on Boxing Day (that's the day after Christmas to us Yanks), dozens of single-masted yachts take part in a grueling 628-nautical-mile sprint down Australia's southeast coast and across the Bass Strait to Tasmania. The race takes most yachts at least two days, but the part you'll be most concerned about is the dramatic launch from Sydney's drop-dead-gorgeous harbor. This is one of the biggest parties of the Australian summer, packing nearby restaurants and rooftops with a bathing-suit-wearing crowd bent on having a good time. The best seat of all, though, is in the water, bobbing alongside the yachts themselves. Pleasure boats (and their pleasure-seeking owners) pack the harbor, making the sea look like Yankee Stadium parking lot on game day.

How to score tickets: Viewing is free, so pull up a lawn chair or—most recommended—hitch a ride on a speedboat.

When: Every year on December 26

For more information: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com