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Comanche, the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours winner and race record holder, fought back brilliantly from a slow start in this year’s 75th running of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s race by taking the lead soon after exiting Sydney Heads.
The super maxi, co-owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, seemingly laboured for speed from the start compared to her four rivals, but once offshore, her downwind superiority came into play.
Comanche, third on line honours last year, was fifth out of the heads. First was InfoTrack, and then Wild Oats XI, SHK Scallywag, and Black Jack respectively.
However, by the time Comanche was sailing abeam of Cronulla, she was the furthest out to sea and leading ahead from InfoTrack, SHK Scallywag, Black Jack and then Wild Oats XI.
InfoTrack's navigator, Brad Kellett, reported at 1445 hrs, saying: “Comanche has come into her own; she is leading and holding us off.
“Wild Oats XI and Black Jack have different plans and we are into our own routine. We’re sailing tight downwind at 20 knots of boat speed. We can’t do anything about Comanche. We will just sail to the best of our ability. The race is anyone’s…”
The start was spectacular. The fleet of 157 set off from four lines on Sydney Harbour in a building 10-15 knot north to nor-easterly breeze. The harbour was awash with spectator boats.
Meanwhile, as the front runners charged away through lumpy waters and their first night at sea, last out of the Heads was the American 52-footer, Cailin Lomhara. Owned by Larry and Charlene Green, the pair is on a cruise of the world and thought it was an ideal opportunity to join in the 75th race.
The 2019 Rolex Sydney Hobart start was officially declared clear, with no boats breaking their various start lines. There was an early concern though, when the Sydney 47, St Jude, reported she had lost steering.
However, soon after, Geoff Cropley reported from the Noel Cornish (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Vice Commodore) owned yacht, that the problem had been resolved.
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After a picture-perfect start with blue skies and a north-easterly breeze, the fleet was able to make good time in the first leg of the race heading south from Sydney Heads.
InfoTrack made the initial move in the front running pack being the first yacht to make it in to open water, but soon after were reeled back in and overtaken by the current race record holder Comanche.
As yachts have made their way further down the coast and pass Batemans Bay, the stronger breezes from earlier in the day have subsided with the pace of the fleet slowing dramatically.
In the race for overall victory, many yachts have shuffled through the top placings of the leader board with the current weather conditions favouring the 40-foot range of yachts. The full list of current standing across all divisions can be found on the TRACKER
The race suffered two early retirees as yachts made their way south from Sydney Harbour. The current list of retirements are as follows (all crew are safe and well):
Faster Forward - Steering problems
Hollywood Boulevard - Broken rudder
The weather forecast for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has laid the platform for a terrific battle for line honours and overall victory in the 75th edition.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Gabrielle Woodhouse confirmed the race start on Sydney Harbour should be in a north to nor-easterly 10-15 knot wind, and that a mild southerly is due later this evening. She also confirmed that smoke haze from bushfires is unlikely.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia event will this year see varying wind shifts throughout the 628-nautical-mile race, but for front-runners such as the five super maxis and other larger boats, the forecast indicates their passage south will be in relatively calm conditions.
However, for the back end of the 157-strong fleet that will start the race from four lines, conditions may toughen, with increasing winds and thunderstorms expected early next week.
The crew of defending line-honours champion, Wild Oats XI, are understandably optimistic about their chances of recording a record 10th line-honours triumph, notwithstanding the challenge they have faced to have the 100-footer repaired after sustaining mast and deck damage in the Cabbage Tree Island race last month, and then tested in a 24-hour qualifying sail last week.
“She's 100-per-cent ready to go,” said Wild Oats XI tactician, Iain Murray, at the CYCA this morning.
Asked if the Wild Oats XI crew has had enough preparation, Murray said: “We've been preparing for 15 years; same boat. It's one of those things … Comanche is one extreme, and we are the other extreme.
“The skinny little boat likes some light breeze going downwind, and the bigger boats like to reach. So, it's going to be a test of where we go, and how much of each one you get. I'm sure there's going to be a bit of cat and mouse in all this.”
Mark Bradford, skipper of Peter Harburg’s Black Jack, which was runner-up to Wild Oats XI on line honours last year, tips a line honours-winning time of “one day 20 hours, something like that".
He also believes that Black Jack will be in the fray, saying: “We’ll be a candidate for sure. We’ve put a huge effort in this year so hopefully we’ll reap the rewards.”
Harburg welcomed the forecast. ”There’s something for everyone, he said. “There’s some light, some strong, some reaching, so, there’s something for everyone. We’d like more light, but we’ve got to take what we get."
Christian Beck, the owner of super maxi InfoTrack, fourth on line honours last year, commented: “In these conditions, we probably need a ‘Bradbury moment’ to win, but we could be right there is someone has a problem.”
Matt Allen, the owner/skipper of the TP52, Ichi Ban, winner of the race in 2017, says: “The front of the pack is going to be amazing. You’ve never see these sorts of boats, hundred footers, around together anywhere else,” Allen said.
“But the race is on at mid-part of the fleet.”
On Ichi Ban, Allen said: “The boat is ready to go. We just need to wriggle out of that trough tonight, and cross our fingers and get through it, then it looks good for the bigger boats.
“The forecast looks great for us. I think most of the boats around 50 foot, 60 foot look really good with this weather forecast. But there are a lot of competitive yachts, so, you've got to beat everyone around your size, and then hopefully the weather Gods are shining on you.”
https://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/news/
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