The 80th edition of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has seen a fierce competition between heavyweights Comanche and LawConnect, who are locked in a close contest for the lead. As of 15:00 on Saturday, December 30, 2023, Comanche held a slender lead of just four nautical miles over LawConnect while navigating across Bass Strait. The challenging conditions have led to an increasing number of retirements, with eleven yachts withdrawing from the race by Saturday afternoon.
The race has been particularly tough, with several yachts leaving the competition due to various mechanical issues. Among the notable retirements is Wild Thing 100, which withdrew early on Saturday morning following rigging problems off the New South Wales South Coast. Previously considered a long shot for line honours, Wild Thing’s exit was disappointing for its veteran skipper, Grant Wharington, who had overseen significant upgrades to the yacht prior to the race.
“Very disappointing,” Wharington expressed. “We kept breaking runner tails and had some other rigging issues as well. Conditions were pretty testing, and we decided it was prudent to pull out.”
The retirements grew from three on Friday to eleven by Saturday, including Moneypenny, a previous division winner that lost its life raft overboard. As the race progressed, LawConnect, aiming for a third consecutive line honours victory, faced its own challenges with a broken mainsheet and halyard on the first night of sailing. Skipper Christian Beck remarked, “It’s been a tough night; we had a lot of breakages. We’re still together, we’re still in the race.”
The conditions have been described as “uncomfortable” by several participants, with crew member Chris Nicholson stating it had been a “bit of a horror show” after the yacht lost its wind instruments at the start of the event. “(We were) looking forward to daylight so we could see the sails again,” he added.
Despite the setbacks, the competition remains intense. Comanche, helmed by Matt Allan, is determined to redeem itself after retiring in the previous year’s race due to significant mainsail damage. With SHK Scallywag and the American 88-footer Lucky trailing closely behind in third and fourth places, the race is shaping up to be a thrilling conclusion.
As the fleet sails towards an anticipated afternoon finish on Sunday, the timeline is expected to lag behind last year’s 2:35 AM arrival and the race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds set in 2017.
On the first night of sailing, the fleet encountered strong winds of up to 25 knots and rough seas of 2-3 metres. Jo Clarke, a crew member aboard cruiser Rum Bucket, commented on the challenging conditions, saying, “It’s really uncomfortable and tough on the body with confused big seas. Lots of seasickness but people are starting to recover.”
In contrast to last year’s treacherous first night, which claimed the lives of two sailors in violent storms, the current conditions, while difficult, have not reached such extremes. Among the further retirements, Awen pulled out with a broken forestay, and Trouble & Strife withdrew due to engine issues, becoming the sixth yacht to exit the race. Two additional yachts, Troubadour and Roaring Forty, also retired due to crew members suffering from seasickness.
As the race continues, the resilience of the crews will be tested, and the battle for line honours remains as fierce as ever. The Sydney to Hobart race, known for pushing the limits of technology and endurance, has once again proven to be a significant challenge for all participants.
