HOBART, Australia (AP) — Supermaxis Master Lock Comanche, SHK Scallywag 100 and defending champion LawConnect continued their close tussle Sunday as the finish line neared on the third day of the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Just over two full days into the race that began Friday in Sydney harbor and ends on the island state of Tasmania, Comanche had a lead of about five nautical mile lead over LawConnect and Scallywag 100.
The leading yachts were off the east coast of Tasmania, neared the opening to the River Derwent which is the final stretch of the race which finishes at Constitution Dock in Hobart. Under current weather and wind projections the line honors winner should arrive Sunday evening — more than two days after the start and well outside the race record.
LawConnect, which was forced to contend with a broken mainsheet and halyard on Saturday but managed to fix both issues and remain in pursuit of Comanche, Scallywag 100 is third followed by New York Yacht Club entry, the 88-footer Lucky, skippered by Bryon Ehrhart in fourth.
For a few hours Sunday, the race had its third leader, and first since the opening hours of the race, when Hong Kong yacht Scallywag 100, skippered by David Witt, took the lead as the yachts reached the Tasmanian coastline early Sunday.
For a period only a couple hundred meters separated the leaders as they passed close to the shore exciting the local coastal communities which rarely see the leading yachts during daylight hours.
As of Sunday afternoon, 33 yachts had retired from the starting fleet of 128. Two crew members – one each from Kraken 42S and Mistral have suffered broken ribs during the race – with both vessels retired and returning to port.
LawConnect led the fleet out of Sydney harbor in search of its third straight line honors win. Overnight conditions Friday night were rough on the fleet, but not as dangerous as last year when two sailors died in storms on the first night.
On Friday, the fleet paid tribute to the victims of the Dec. 14 terror attack by scattering rose petals off the coast of Bondi Beach off Sydney as they passed the area early in the race.
LawConnect, owned by Australian tech millionaire Beck, won last year’s event in 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds for the 628-nautical mile (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) race.
The race record set by LDV Comanche — 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds — has stood since 2017 and only comes under threat in very strong downwind conditions.
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