On LawConnect, bad luck determined their fate. A ripped sail lead to conversations about whether the yacht should retire. Had they decided to, it would have added to a list of 33 โ including high-profile retirements Wild Thing 100, URM Group and Moneypenny.
Three yachts reported injuries to crew membersโ ribs, two of them suspected to be broken. Three yachts retired with sailors suffering seasickness, which even affected the most comfortable in the water, including Olympian Ian Thorpe and his skipper on LawConnect.
LawConnectโs sail ripped on the final day of sailing. Credit: LawConnect
Two yachts retired after losing their life rafts and thus failing to comply with safety regulations. The oldest in the fleet, Maritimo Katwinchar, joined them, retiring to Eden despite having been a contender for overall honours, awarded to the fastest yacht after a handicap is applied.
Instead, by 6.30pm on Sunday, reigning overall winner Celestial V70 looked to be defending the Tattersall Cup.
Its skipper, Sam Haynes, called the conditions on the second night nasty.
Master Lock Comanche claims line honours in the 80th Sydney to Hobart race.Credit: Getty Images
โHard, hard work,โ he said. โHard on the boat, hard on the crew. Felt like a very, very long time since we left Green Cape and then got ourselves across to finally be here on the Tasmanian coastline.โ
And Beck, who had begun the race hopeful, even with a torn sail, had all but resigned to the second place finish by 3pm.
โItโs starting to spread out a bit now,โ he said. โWeโre starting to get the winds that Comanche wanted.โ
The winds provided around the heads and gave Comanche what Allan called the best run up the Derwent in all of his 33 races.
โLast year was brutal, but it was unfinished businessโ Mayo said, covered in champagne. โWe wanted redemption.โ
