HOBART, Australia — Master Lock Comanche secured line honours for the fifth time in the prestigious Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, ending LawConnect’s bid for a third consecutive title.
The 100-foot supermaxi crossed the finish line on Hobart’s River Derwent in two days, five hours, three minutes and 36 seconds, completing the 628-nautical-mile course in front of hundreds of supporters lining Tasmania’s waterfront.
Skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo, Comanche added to its impressive record, having previously won line honours in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
The supermaxi also holds the current race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set in 2017.
“We had a great lead during the race, but it evaporated this morning and we effectively had to restart,” Allen said according to AP.
“We’ve never seen anything like it in the Sydney to Hobart, with so many boats so close together.”
The decisive move came near Tasman Island, where Comanche surged ahead of the leading trio by taking a line closer to shore.
The strategy paid off as the inshore breeze strengthened, allowing the yacht to extend its lead to nine nautical miles up the Derwent River.
“We wanted to defend from inside the coast, closer to the shoreline,” Allen explained. “That eventually worked for us, and we were able to extend throughout the day.”
The victory marked a strong comeback for Allen and Mayo, whose 2024 campaign ended prematurely due to significant mainsail damage.
This year’s race tested the 128-boat fleet with punishing southerly winds and heavy seas. Mayo reported early injuries to two crew members, including one who suffered suspected broken ribs minutes after the start.
LawConnect, which led the fleet out of Sydney Harbour, overcame mechanical issues with a broken mainsheet and halyard to finish second.
Hong Kong-based Scallywag 100, skippered by David Witt, held off Lucky 88 of the New York Yacht Club, sailed by Bryon Ehrhart, to claim third. Scallywag briefly held the lead — the race’s third leader and the first since the opening hours — before Comanche regained control with its inshore approach.
“Everyone stayed really calm,” Allen added. “We stuck to the game plan, and it worked.”
By the end of the race, 33 yachts had retired. Two crew members — one each from Kraken 42S and Mistral — suffered broken ribs, with both vessels returning to port. Earlier in the race, the fleet paid tribute to the victims of the December 14 terror attack by scattering rose petals off Bondi Beach as they passed the area.
LawConnect, owned by Australian tech entrepreneur Christian Beck, had won last year’s race in one day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds. Comanche’s 2017 record remains unbeaten, a mark typically threatened only in exceptionally strong downwind conditions.
