Comanche takes line honors for 5th time in Sydney to Hobart yacht race

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HOBART, Australia (AP) — Master Lock Comanche has held off a determined challenge from SHK Scallywag 100 and defending champion LawConnect to claim line honors Sunday for the fifth time in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

The supermaxi arrived at the finish line near Constitution Dock in Hobart shortly after 6 p.m. local time Sunday in a time of two days, five hours, 3 minutes and 36 seconds, well behind the record set in 2017.

After briefly surrendering the lead earlier Sunday, Comanche regained the lead and extended it later Sunday after a swift passage up the River Derwent to seal its fifth title in the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and first since 2022.

The victory marked a successful comeback for skippers Matt Allen and James Mayo after their 2024 race ended early with a damaged mainsail.

LawConnect, which was forced to contend with a broken mainsheet and halyard earlier in the race but managed to fix both issues and remain in pursuit, is currently in second place about ten nautical miles from the finish. Scallywag is a further three nautical miles back with a fast finishing Lucky 88, a New York Yacht Club entry skippered by Bryon Ehrhart.

LawConnect, 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.

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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