Hobart Enters Comanche Territory

American supermaxi Comanche performed the ultimate comeback to take line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, some two days after she turned back to the start line, damaged and ready to withdraw.

The 100-footer crossed the finish line at Hobart’s Constitution Dock on Monday in an unofficial time of two days, eight hours and 58 minutes, outside her 2014 debut race time of two days, two hours and 52 minutes when she came second to defending champion, Wild Oats XI.

Clark’s Australian wife Kristy Hinze-Clark steered the boat across the finish line after making her maiden Sydney to Hobart race voyage and Comanche pulled into the dock to many cheers before the crew was showered in champagne and presented with a trophy.

After Wild Oats XI retired with sail damage on Saturday, nothing could hold back Comanche, not even her own damage.

During the first night at sea the super yacht hit something in the water and lost a dagger board which damaged the rudder after it broke off.

The crisis cost Comanche her 12-mile lead over Rambler as the crew at first considered retiring and even turned the boat around, before scrambling to make repairs.

The crew adapted, skipper Ken Read said. “We’ve learned how to sail the boat a little differently, without a dagger board [and] with only part of a rudder,” he told the Seven Network on Monday.

“Fortunately we’ve got an incredible crew on board this boat that figured out a couple of little tricks and kind of fixed the steering system and we figured out how to sail the boat a little better on starboard tack without a board, and off we go.”

It took 13 hours to hunt down Rambler which Comanche overtook on Sunday, before maintaining the lead all the way to Hobart.

In a race plagued by damage and withdrawals which saw the starting fleet of 108 reduced to 31, all three of the lead boats suffered.

Along with Comanche’s woes, Rambler and third-placed Australian Ragamuffin have both reported dagger board damage.

The latter boat performed dangerous on-the-run repairs enabling her to continue, skipper David Witt said.

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Comanche Leads Sydney Hobart

Comanche held a lead over fellow American yacht Rambler in the Sydney to Hobart but damage to both boats could make for a tense finale to the race.

After eight-time winner and defending champion Wild Oats XI pulled out with a torn mainsail on Saturday night and another Australian entry Perpetual Loyal also withdrew, line honours has opened up for the international raiders.

Jim Clark’s supermaxi Comanche passed Rambler on Sunday afternoon and gradually increased her margin as the pair crossed Bass Strait.

But news of wounds to the lead boats and the prospect of calmer waters along Tasmania’s east coast means the Australian yacht Ragamuffin and Italian-flagged Maserati are still strong chances.

Skipper Ken Read said Comanche “hit something” overnight, causing rudder damage. Retirement was considered but the crew chose to push on.

“We decided to punch on through,” Read said. “We think we can get to Hobart safely. I don’t care if we limp over the line – we are going to finish this damned race.”

Rambler’s navigator Andrew Cape said the 88-foot craft hit a submerged object about 1pm (AEDT), damaging the starboard daggerboard which can no longer be moved, limiting speed.

“It’s upwards all the way to Tasman [Island] so we’ve still got a lot of pain to come unfortunately,” Cape said by phone.

Rough overnight conditions took a toll on the fleet and by the end of day one there were 24 casualties – about 20 per cent of the race field – had pulled out.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore John Cameron couldn’t recall the last time there were so many early withdrawals.

“It’s the wind, but in this case we’ve also got the wind against current and that’s making the sea stand up and creating a terrible sea state for these boats to travel through,” he told reporters in Hobart.

“And it’s the sea state which is causing most of the damage on these yachts ... they’re powering through these waves, coming out the other end, then dropping feet before they hit the water.”

A crew member on board Black Jack suffered a broken leg, race officials said. The 70-foot Queensland boat, carrying a crew of 12, withdrew from the race about 11am (AEDT) on Sunday, and was en route to Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast where the patient will be treated at a naval base.

Officials have no detail about how the injury was sustained.

As the fleet moves south they can expect calmer weather with a breeze moderating to about 20 knots.

Cameron said the race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds won’t be broken, and thinks the first boat will cross the finish line at Hobart’s Constitution Dock on Monday afternoon.

Not since 2001 when Swedish boat Assa Abloy took line honours has an international entry won the race.

“It would be good to see another international boat keep that record going,” Cameron said.

After making it back to Sydney, a shattered Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards was philosophical about retiring for the first time in the boat’s 10-year history.

“We had a failure and that’s the way it is. Get on with life and start planning for next year,” he said.

Perpetual Loyal also returned to Sydney with a broken rudder.

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