Comanche has claimed line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race despite a heart-stopping final run when the supermaxi started going backwards.
The Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant-skippered boat broke away from a five-strong pack of supermaxis down Tasmania’s east coast having taken a wider route across Bass Strait on Friday.
She stalled at one stage on Saturday morning on a windless run up the River Derwent before crossing the line at 7.31am in a time of one day, 18 hours, 30 minutes and 24 seconds.
Comanche races ahead of the competition past the Iron Pot lighthouse as the Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant-skippered boat claimed its third line honours victory
In a nail-biting finish Comanche (pictured making its way down the New South Wales coast) actually stalled and started going backwards at one stage on Saturday morning on a windless run
InfoTrack is in second place for line honours, while Black Jack, Hong Kong’s SHK Scallywag 100 and nine-time winner Wild Oats XI are jostling for third.
Comanche’s previous wins were in 2015 and 2017, the latter coming in race-record time after Wild Oats XI was stripped of the title in a post-race protest.
NSW boat Minerva became the fleet’s third retirement overnight, reducing the number of yachts in the race to 154.
Among the nations represented in this year’s fleet are Ireland, Monaco, the United States, Poland, France and Hungary.
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham said earlier this week the logistics of the race were probably 70 per cent more complex than last year.
Four starting lines were needed to accommodate the bumper fleet for their journey south.
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race began for the 75th year on Thursday as 157 yachts set out under smoke haze-free conditions and moderate winds (pictured InfoTrack leading the fleet out of Sydney Harbour)
The largest fleet in 25 years were led by a flotilla of supermaxis (Wild Oats pictured) as they started across four lines on Sydney Harbour at 1pm AEDT
Four starting lines were needed to accommodate the bumper fleet for their journey out of Sydney Harbour and their journey south
InfoTrack’s crew sit with their legs hanging over the side of InfoTrack as the annual race got underway
‘It’s bit like a Mini and a Formula 1 race car starting on the same line, it is incredibly difficult, so the four lines works well,’ said race stalwart Sean Langman.
Prior to the race, SHK Scallywag skipper David Witt fired up over the lack of communication options for boats amid concerns smoke may disrupt wave frequencies.
At Green Cape on New South Wales’ far south coast, they can only use the High Frequency (HF) Single Sideband (SSB) or they will be disqualified.
Thursday’s crews (InfoTrack pictured) will cross the finish line at Hobart’s Constitution Dock almost 1,200km away featuring 54 more boats than usual
The French-designed Comanche leaves Sydney Harbour. Among the nations represented in this year’s fleet are Ireland, Monaco, the United States, Poland, France and Hungary
The crew of the Comanche are pictured preparing for the annual yacht race after the traditional Sydney to Hobart lead-up race, the Big Boat Challenge, was cancelled for safety reasons after thick smoke shrouded the Harbour City
Witt said bushfire smoke across NSW had affected the HF SSB system.
‘We put a letter in (to the race committee) asking whether if the was a problem with the SSB signal and if you can’t get through, if you’re allowed to use the sat phone because we all carry them,’ Witt said.
‘But apparently we’re still in the 1930s not 2019 and that got rejected.
The Crew of Wild Oats XI is pictured in Sydney Harbour ahead of the 75th Sydney to Hobart race
‘I think that’s a pretty harsh penalty in the race. It’s a disqualification if you can’t get through on the SSB.’
It comes after the traditional Sydney to Hobart lead-up race, the Big Boat Challenge, was cancelled for safety reasons after thick smoke shrouded the Harbour City.
Supermaxis Wild Oats XI, Black Jack, SHK Scallywag and InfoTrack, plus smaller boats Naval Group and URM, were listed to contest the race scheduled on December 10.