Master Lock Comanche has claimed line honours in the 80th Sydney to Hobart yacht race, marking its fifth victory in this prestigious event. The supermaxi yacht crossed the finish line near Constitution Dock in Hobart shortly after 18:00 on Sunday, completing the race in a time of two days, five hours, three minutes, and 36 seconds. Although this time fell short of the race record set by LDV Comanche in 2017, the victory is a significant achievement for the team following their challenges in the previous race.
After briefly losing the lead earlier on Sunday, the crew of Comanche, led by skippers Matt Allen and James Mayo, regained and extended their advantage during a rapid passage up the Derwent River. This marked Comanche’s first title since 2022 and a triumphant return after a disappointing exit in the 2024 race due to a damaged mainsail.
Challengers and Conditions
The competition was fierce, with SHK Scallywag 100 and defending champion LawConnect close on Comanche’s heels. LawConnect faced its own setbacks, contending with a broken mainsheet and halyard earlier in the race. Despite these challenges, the team managed to repair the issues and crossed the finish line in second place around 19:00. Scallywag, which had taken a brief lead on Sunday, secured third place shortly thereafter.
As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 33 yachts had retired from the starting fleet of 128, highlighting the demanding nature of the race. The challenging conditions resulted in injuries for two crew members, one each from Kraken 42S and Mistral, both of whom suffered broken ribs and returned to port.
The race began with LawConnect leading the fleet out of Sydney Harbour, aiming for its third consecutive line honours win. Although Friday night brought rough conditions for the competitors, they were not as perilous as the storms experienced during the previous year.
During the race, participants also paid tribute to the victims of the December 14 terror attack in Bondi Beach, honouring those affected as they passed the area early in the competition.
With Master Lock Comanche’s victory, the challenge for the race record remains, as it has stood since 2017 at one day, nine hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds. Achieving such a time requires very strong downwind conditions, which were not present this year.
