The legendary supermaxi yacht Comanche has cemented its place in sailing history, securing line honours in the 2024 Sydney to Hobart yacht race for a remarkable fifth time. The 100-foot vessel triumphed after an intense, nail-biting "dogfight" with its rivals along Tasmania's rugged east coast, crossing the finish line on the River Derwent at 6:03pm on Sunday evening.
A Redemption Victory After Early Setbacks
This year's win represents a powerful redemption for the crew, skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo. Their campaign in the previous race ended in bitter disappointment when Comanche was forced into an early retirement due to mainsail damage. Before this year's event, Mayo had openly stated the team had "unfinished business," a mission they have now spectacularly accomplished.
The victory was hard-fought. Comanche finished approximately 10 nautical miles ahead of its arch-rival, LawConnect, which was aiming for a third consecutive line-honours victory. The winning time was a little over two days and five hours, a far cry from the race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche itself back in 2017.
The Three-Way Battle Down the Tasmanian Coast
While Comanche led for the majority of the race down Australia's eastern seaboard, the contest tightened dramatically off the coast of Tasmania. The yacht found itself locked in a fierce tussle not only with LawConnect but also with the Hong Kong-owned SHK Scallywag 100 and the smaller yacht Lucky.
The drama peaked on Sunday when Scallywag, under veteran skipper David Witt, briefly snatched the lead. However, Comanche's crew managed to execute a decisive move, pulling away to enter the River Derwent in the top position. LawConnect's challenge was hampered by significant damage, including a compromised mainsail on Saturday night, broken outhaul and mainsheet, and non-functional wind instruments.
LawConnect crew member Tony Mutter described the intense morning sailing, calling it a "funny morning" where the three supermaxis were "side by side, dogfighting our way down the coast." Skipper Christian Beck later admitted his yacht was a "wounded animal" and that they needed more favourable winds to have a real chance at victory.
A Gruelling Race Takes Its Toll
The 80th edition of the iconic race proved exceptionally tough for the fleet. Crews battled gruelling upwind conditions that led to a high attrition rate. From the starting fleet of 128 yachts, a staggering 33 were forced to retire.
The toll was both physical and mechanical. Sailors suffered from broken ribs and severe seasickness, while yachts sustained various breakdowns. Notably, two vessels even lost their life rafts during the brutal conditions. "It was pretty rough. It's the longest upwind I've ever done. It was pretty unpleasant. I was pretty sick myself," confessed LawConnect's Christian Beck.
Among the higher-profile retirements were the handicap contender URM Group and the supermaxi Wild Thing 100, which had placed third in both line and overall honours in the 2024 race.
With this victory, Comanche adds the 2024 title to its previous line honours wins in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022. The rivalry with LawConnect continues a storied history; in 2023, the two boats were involved in the second-closest finish ever, with LawConnect winning by a mere 51 seconds after a thrilling battle up the River Derwent.
Conditions are now expected to ease for the remainder of the fleet still at sea, with a wind change set to assist their journey down to Hobart as the race for overall handicap honours continues.
