The defence of the Sydney to Hobart line honours title by supermaxi yacht LawConnect hangs in the balance after the vessel sustained significant damage to its mainsail, skipper Christian Beck has confirmed.
A Tight Battle Nears the Finish
On Sunday morning, a gripping contest unfolded off the Tasmanian coast with four leading yachts – LawConnect, Andoo Comanche, the Hong Kong-owned SHK Scallywag 100, and Lucky – all within sight of each other. Andoo Comanche had led for much of the race down Australia's east coast, with LawConnect holding second, but the light weather specialist SHK Scallywag 100 managed to edge into the lead. This sets the stage for a potentially spectacular finish on Hobart's River Derwent, expected on Sunday evening or night.
LawConnect's Mounting Troubles
For the defending champion, the race has been a story of adversity. LawConnect had already suffered a broken outhaul and mainsheet and was sailing without functioning wind instruments when it sustained further mainsail damage on Saturday night. Crew members were pictured scrambling to carry out repairs as the race continued.
'We haven't given up but to be honest our odds of winning aren't very high,' Beck stated frankly on Sunday morning. 'There is a lot of light weather to get through and sometimes luck can play a part, or choosing the right path. We're still in it, just not as competitive as we probably would (otherwise) be.'
Beck expressed hope that forecast light winds on the River Derwent might yet offer his crew a chance to pull off what he called a 'fairytale' third consecutive line honours victory.
A Gruelling Race Takes Its Toll
The 80th edition of the iconic race has proven exceptionally challenging. The fleet has battled 25-knot winds and four-metre swells, leading to a substantial number of retirements. Thirty-three of the 128 yachts that started have now been forced to withdraw.
'It was pretty rough. It's the longest upwind I've ever done. It was pretty unpleasant. I was pretty sick myself,' Beck recounted, describing the gruelling upwind conditions that caused the retirement list to swell overnight.
Among the casualties was the Tasmania-owned Kraken 42S, which headed for the New South Wales coast after a crew member suffered suspected broken ribs and the yacht experienced electrical issues. Last year's 31st-placed yacht, Ragtime, retired after losing its life raft overboard, a fate that also befell the former podium finisher Moneypenny when its raft self-inflated and was lost.
Other high-profile retirements include supermaxi Wild Thing 100, which finished third in both line and overall honours in 2023. Skipper Grant Wharington described the seas as 'nasty' and lacked confidence that makeshift repairs would hold. 'When you've got $4 million of mast in the air and no insurance you analyse these things a bit more carefully than you might have otherwise done,' he said.
Contender URM Group, a hopeful for the handicap trophy, also retired on Saturday afternoon with hull damage, marking its second retirement in two years.
A Quest for Redemption for Rivals
As LawConnect struggles, its rivals are sailing with their own motivations. The Matt Allen and James Mayo-skippered Andoo Comanche is seeking redemption after being forced to retire from the 2023 race with – ironically – mainsail damage. Meanwhile, SHK Scallywag 100, under skipper David Witt, is hunting a maiden Sydney to Hobart win after a broken bowsprit ended its most recent campaign in 2023.
LawConnect was first out of Sydney Heads at approximately 1:10 pm on Boxing Day but surrendered its initial lead to Andoo Comanche later that evening. The stage is now set for a dramatic and unpredictable conclusion to one of the world's great ocean races.
