Sailing: start of the Sydney-Hobart race, storms to tame

More than 100 boats set off on Tuesday for a new edition of the legendary crewed sailing race between Sydney and Hobart, with storms as last-minute guests.

Lightning and precipitation hit Sydney Harbor a few minutes before departure, for the 103 sailboats embarked on a journey of 628 nautical miles (a little less than 1,200 kilometers) via the Bass Strait.

Among the favorites is the defending champion “supermaxi” Andoo Comanche, which holds the record for the grueling crossing to Hobart, on the south coast of the Australian island of Tasmania, in 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, established in 2017. The boat, more than 100 feet long (around 30 meters), is “fast in all conditions,” assured its skipper, John Winning.

Moreover, Andoo Comanche took the lead of the event after four hours of racing on Tuesday, with a lead of less than a nautical mile. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 1998 edition, which was mourned by the disappearance of six participants following a storm. Five boats had sunk, and 55 sailors had been rescued.

“Severe” thunderstorms, hail and “unpredictable” wind gusts are expected during the race, warned Gabrielle Woodhouse, of the Australian Meteorological Service, in a final briefing before the start. “Boats still in the water on Friday risk facing waves three to five meters high,” she added.

The crew of the supermaxi LawConnect appears to be one of Andoo Comanche's main opponents, having finished in second place in the last three editions.

“I always want to win the race, and to finally win it would be a dream come true,” her skipper, Christian Beck, told Channel Nine television. “The start is great, and the pub at the end is great too, so I love all the competition,” he continued.

Also among the contenders for victory are two other supermaxis: SHK Scallywag, which sports a taller mast after significant modifications, and novices Wild Thing 100. The difficult weather makes the race “very exciting” for the crew of the SHK Scallywag, assured its skipper, David Witt, on social networks.

The race is expected to last several days for the dozens of small sailboats also competing, whose ranking depends on handicaps linked to the size of the boat.