The 80th edition of the iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race has seen its first major casualty, with the 100-foot supermaxi Wild Thing 100 forced to retire on the first night of sailing. Meanwhile, a fierce duel for line honours is unfolding between Master Lock Comanche and the two-time defending champion, LawConnect.
Supermaxi Showdown and Early Setbacks
As the fleet pushed south on day two, Master Lock Comanche held a narrow lead over Christian Beck's LawConnect. By 8:30am AEDT on 27 December, the rival supermaxis were separated by approximately four-and-a-half nautical miles, preparing to enter the Bass Strait. However, the race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set by Comanche in 2017, is not under threat.
LawConnect's chase was hampered overnight by significant breakages. The crew faced a broken mainsheet and halyard, issues that took around 20 minutes to repair but cost them valuable time. "It's been a tough night, we had a lot of breakages, which is why Comanche is ahead of us," said skipper Christian Beck. "If we didn't have those issues, we would have been fine."
Comanche, seeking redemption after retiring with mainsail damage in last year's race, capitalised on its rival's troubles to extend its lead as the boats approached Eden.
Wild Thing's Disappointing Exit
The first major retirement came in the early hours of 27 December. Wild Thing 100 succumbed to rigging damage east-north-east of Tuross Head on the New South Wales South Coast. All crew were reported safe as the yacht turned back towards Sydney around 4am.
The withdrawal is a bitter blow for veteran skipper Grant Wharington, who had overseen significant upgrades to the yacht this year, including the installation of a taller mast in May. This modification was intended to harness the lighter winds forecast for the latter stages of the race. Wild Thing had been considered an outside contender for line honours after placing third in last year's tragic event.
Fleet Conditions and Further Retirements
Overnight sailing conditions were challenging, with the fleet battling upwind in tops of 25 knots and a solid swell. While southerly winds began to ease by daybreak, the conditions were notably less treacherous than the violent storms of last year's race, which claimed two lives.
Following Wild Thing's exit, two more yachts retired by early morning. Awen withdrew with a broken forestay around 5:30am, and Trouble & Strife followed due to engine issues about an hour later. These additions brought the total number of retirements to six, after four boats—Hutchies Yeah Baby, White Noise, Inukshuk, and Yendys—scratched on Boxing Day.
In the race behind the leading duo, the supermaxi SHK Scallywag and the American 88-footer Lucky lead the chasing pack. As of the morning update, the competing fleet stood at 122 yachts. The focus now shifts to the Bass Strait, where the battle between Comanche and a resilient LawConnect is set to intensify.
