Andoo Comanche wins Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2022 line honours after tussle with LawConnect

Andoo Comanche has triumphed in a two-boat chase down the River Derwent to take out its fourth line honours in a late-night end to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

The 24-strong crew on the John Profitable Jr-skippered supermaxi crossed the end line at 12:57am AEDT on Wednesday with a time of 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

Beneficial climate led to a speedy race this 12 months but it surely was nonetheless not sufficient to pip Comanche’s 2017 line honours win with skipper Jim Cooney, which set the race report of 1 day, 9 hours, quarter-hour and 24 seconds.

This 12 months’s tussle for line honours and the JH Illingworth trophy grew to become a conflict between supermaxis Andoo Comanche and LawConnect on the River Derwent.

LawConnect completed a bit of over 20 minutes after Comanche.

Black Jack adopted intently behind the pair and all three chased one another down the east coast of Tasmania, hooked a pointy proper flip round Tasman Island and closed in on Hobart in fast succession.

Comanche skipper John Profitable Jr stated the road honours win felt “fairly unbelievable in the intervening time” and was “nonetheless sinking in”.

“I used to be on [line honours winner] Perpetual Loyal as one of many skippers in 2016 so I form of know what to anticipate by way of all of this,” he stated.

“However to do it in a marketing campaign that I used to be a part of placing collectively is de facto fairly distinctive.”

He stated this 12 months he had “misplaced a pricey pal”, Andoo Crew X founder Matthew Munting, and would dedicate the win to him.

He additionally thanked the “unimaginable legends” on his crew as properly his mother and father, who he stated put a love of the water into him at a younger age.

Black Jack crossed the end in third with a time of 1 day, 12 hours, 40 minutes and 34 seconds.

Hamilton Island Wild Oats misplaced floor earlier within the race to grow to be a distant fourth.

Wild Oats bought into drama on the primary evening, with a seam splitting throughout one among its downwind sails.

The crew have been pressured to drag down the sail to restore it, which took them an hour and a half.

Monday noticed a chaotic begin to the 77th version of the bluewater traditional, with near-misses, protests and penalties for the massive 4.

Regardless of its eventual win, Comanche had a poor begin when it didn’t get sufficient clear wind to maneuver forward of its rivals, and have become jammed by different craft. It then misjudged a flip and hit the mark, shedding much more floor.

Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards let unfastened a variety of audible obscenities on the TV protection as he and his crew tried to navigate their option to the Sydney Heads and out into the ocean for the journey south.

At one level, Black Jack reduce throughout two of its rivals, operating a positive line between LawConnect and Wild Oats.

There have been three retirements thus far — Avalanche, Yeah Child and Koa — from a area of greater than 100 on this 12 months’s race

Avalanche and Yeah Child each retired with rudder injury whereas Koa suffered a broken bowsprit.

‘Polar reverse’ climate situations in comparison with 2021

On Tuesday, Tony Mutter, crusing with LawConnect, stated the distinction in climate between this 12 months and final 12 months’s occasion had been startling.

Mutter advised the ABC situations have been “fairly good” for the crew and the “polar reverse” to final 12 months.

“I used to be carrying thermals [last year]; we have been in thunder and lightning,” he stated.

“Now, I’m in a T-shirt, shorts and life jacket.”

Whereas line honours goes to the primary yacht to cross the end line, the general race winner is but to be declared.

The main prize for sailors is the Tattersalls Cup — which matches to the general winner on handicap after instances are adjusted for boat measurement and different components.

Final 12 months, line honours went to Black Jack, however the total winner — Ichi Ban — was not topped till two days later.