As defending champion Andoo Comanche and fellow supermaxi LawConnect battle it out for line honours in this year’s Sydney to Hobart yacht race, organisers are anticipating a tight finish.
The pair are expected to sail up the River Derwent on Wednesday morning.
Only 6.5 nautical miles separated the two frontrunners at 4:30pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, with race leader Andoo Commanche 185 nautical miles from the finish line.
“They are watching each other very, very carefully,” Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Arthur Lane said.
“Each is tweaking and doing all the little adjustments needed and they know each other’s boats so well.
“So yes, they’ll be very, very close [at the finish]. At this stage. I think it’s anyone’s race.”
URM Group was in third position, 114 nautical miles from the leader, with Moneypenny and Alive slightly further back.
Mr Lane said there was little chance the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds would be attained.
“In 2017, when the record was broken, that Comanche was just 100 miles away [from the finish], so they’ve got a long way to go,” he said.
“It’s going to be quite a challenge to actually get to that record.”
Daylight finish predicted
Southerly winds would likely bring the leading boats swiftly up the River Derwent early on Thursday, Mr Lane said.
“Last year [the winning boat finished] about 2:30, 3:00 o’clock in the morning,” he said.
“I think we will see the sunrise before they get in [this year], but that’s just my own opinion on it.”
A total of 11 yachts had retired from the race as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Lane said weather conditions had been challenging and somewhat unpredictable along the south-east coast of Australia’s mainland and in the Bass Strait.
“There’s certainly a lot of unease out there. There’s all kinds of conditions happening,” he said.
In addition to strong winds generated by a low-pressure system, he said squally weather from electrical storms was particularly difficult to handle.
“When they hit, they actually change the wind from the direction it’s going and for a few minutes when that storm hits, the actual cell hits, it can come from any direction.
“So particularly at night, you think you have a south-east breeze but suddenly it can be coming from the north for a couple of minutes or go to the east.
“It swirls around and it’s so unpredictable and really causes quite a lot of concern if you’re on a boat.”
The boats that have retired so far include Arcadia, Currawong, Maritimo 52, Pacman, Sticky, Rum Rebellion, Georgia Express, Luna Blue and line honours favourite SHK Scallywag.
Seasickness has also taken a toll on Millennium Falcon and Tumbleweed.
‘Bruised and sore’
The skipper of two-hander Rum Rebellion, Shane Connelly, was sent overboard at 6:00pm on Boxing Day — off the coast between Cronulla and Wollongong — after the yacht was hit by sudden strong winds.
The boat was knocked down, but Mr Connelly was able to tether onto it, the boat was righted, and he was lifted back on board.
Mr Connelly and teammate Tony Sutton retired from the race due to concerns that Mr Connelly could have a concussion. They were safe and well upon their return to port.
Mr Lane said he had spoken with Mr Connelly earlier today.
“He’s bruised, he’s sore, but he said everything they’d practised [for] and everything onboard the boat in terms of requirements and everything just worked perfectly.
“So they are very happy about the fact that all their practice … worked and it was a great relief they could get back aboard the boat.”
Antipodes crew member Geoff Cropley said they had to compete with regular lightning strikes and major wind changes.
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“The spinnaker got wrapped in the drop, along with spinnaker staysail. All the team was up and trying to untwist and get that down. It took us about 40 minutes,” he said.
Earlier today, LawConnect’s skipper said it had become a “battle for survival” as competitors faced stormy conditions.
Christian Beck told ABC News Breakfast that one of their sails had ripped but the two leaders were able to make their way out of a storm cell.
“It’s a bit of a battle for survival to the finish now,” he said.
Controversial start to 78th edition of iconic race
The annual race was off to a controversial start on Boxing Day, with a close call between supermaxis SHK Scallywag and Andoo Comanche.
The latter lodged an official protest after there was a near-collision, claiming SHK Scallywag should have tacked (changed direction) sooner.
After the harbour drama, things slowed right down as boats manoeuvred out of the harbour and around the heads in search of a speedy wind but were left wanting.
The leaders in the field of 103 yachts slowly left Sydney behind at a speed of 8-11 knots, compared to the upwards of 20 knots they can sometimes have.
When the crucial decision of whether to hug the coast or head further out to sea in search of a wind had to be made, the leaders — LawConnect, Andoo Comanche and SHK Scallywag — left the coast and things picked up from there.
The first yacht to cross the finish line at Hobart’s River Derwent will win line honours and the JH Illingworth Challenge Cup.
The current Line Honours record was set in 2017 by LDV Comanche with 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds — finishing on the evening of December 27 — but the yachts were still trailing that record on the first day.
The biggest and fastest supermaxi class yachts will be the first to finish the race, with many of the smaller boats much further behind.
It can be days until all of the more than 100 yachts reach Hobart or retire from the race.
The main prize is the prestigious Tattersalls Cup, which goes to the overall winner when adjusted for handicaps — adjustments in time based on things such as weight and length of the boat.
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