Rolex Sydney Hobart: Lightning and thunder for hours
by Rupert Guiness | RSHYR Media 26 Dec 2023 21:40 UTC
26 December 2023
The Santa Cruz 70 Antipodes (Geoff Hill HKG) flies around Tasman Island - 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart © Carlo Borlenghi
The margin between Andoo Comanche and LawConnect remains tight with 5 nautical miles now separating the two maxis that lead the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Meanwhile, in the fleet that now numbers 98 after two more withdrawals overnight (Maritimo 52 and Sticky), the first night was hectic all, including the Geoff Hill owned Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes.
At 7am, Antipodes crew member Geoff Cropley reported: “We had lightning and thunder for hours. Then there was a major wind shift which auto gybed the boat.
“The spinnaker got wrapped in the drop, along with spinnaker staysail. All the team was up and trying to untwist and get that down. It took us about 40 minutes. We were heading north-east and sailing backwards for a period of time.
“We’re now hunkered down with a reef in the main. There’s little bit of blue sky. It’s quite nice out here. We’ve got about 100nm to go to Green Cape.”
Cropley added that crew mate Lindsay May is also “enjoying his 50th consecutive Sydney Hobart so far.”
At the front of the fleet at 7.45am, the John Winning Jr skippered Andoo Comanche and Christian Beck’s LawConnect were respectively 117 and 120 nautical miles south-east of Gabo Island.
Still in third place for Line Honours was the 2018 winner, Alive (Tas), the RP66 owned by Phillip Turner and skippered by Duncan Hine and race favourite, URM Group, the RP72 owned by Anthony Johnston and skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones.
The two yachts were 42nm and 57nm respectively behind LawConnect.
Current standings:
IRC
MRV, Smuggler, Chutzpah, Highly Sprung, Mayfair
PHS
Helsal 3, Insomnia, MWF Kayle, Oroton Drumfire
Two-handed IRC
Mistral, Kraken III, Cinnamon Girl - Eden Capital
Corinthian IRC
Mayfair, Pretty Woman, Calibre 12
Corinthian PHS
Pretty Woman, Calibre 12, Ragtime
For the full list of entries and more information about the race, visit rolexsydneyhobart.com.