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Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner decided by 51 seconds

• Helen Fretter
• December 27, 2023

The 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours battle is settled in the final gybe after one of the closest finishes in the race’s history, with Law Connect winning ahead of long-time leader Andoo Comanche.

Law Connect has won the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours, after the closest finish in over 40 years, which ended in a gybe-for-gybe battle up the Derwent River against long-time leader Andoo Comanche .

Andoo Comanche held the advantage going into the Derwent with a two-mile lead, John Winning Jr’s crew crowded onto the bow in the light early morning winds to try and lift Comanche’s 8m beamy transom, which gives the yacht the nickname the ‘aircraft carrier’.  

Law Connect followed up the Derwent River with a knot or two more breeze, and were able to close the gap some two miles from the finish line, but the waters outside Hobart were littered with glassy patches, and each boat repeatedly battled to maintain hull speed through windless holes.

After 628 miles of racing, the lead changed repeatedly in the final half hour, with Law Connect taking the advantage on the final gybe for the line to roll over the top of Andoo Comanche and cross the line ahead.  

Law Connect overtakes Andoo Comanche metres from the finish line of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

It was an exceptional display of light winds tactical match racing, with Law Connect helmsman Tony Mutter and tactician Chris Nicholson directing Christian Beck’s team to victory, after being 2nd on three previous years . Law Connect crossed the Castray Esplanade finish line in Hobart at 08.03.58am local time after 1 day 19 hours 03 minutes 58 seconds of racing.

Beck gave a self-deprecating speech after, praising the crew for their efforts on a boat he admitted was not as fast or well-funded as their rivals. “I honestly can’t believe it. I rated it about a 25% chance we’d win, so to win was just amazing.

“An hour ago we were about 3 miles behind Comanche, so to win – I still can’t believe it.”

Law Connect (SYD 1000)a Juan K 100ft Custom design, on its way to winning the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Mixed 2023 Sydney Hobart Race

The 2023 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart has so far seen truly mixed conditions. The Boxing Day start delivered its customary spectacle, as the three 100ft maxis led the fleet out of a packed Sydney Habour. Law Connect gave an impromptu demonstration of how to gybe a giant overlapping headsail after breaking a furling line that left them unable to tack around a turning mark, while Scallywag took penalty turns once in clear water after a port-starboard incident with Comanche shortly after the start.

Start of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Over the first two days of racing the fleet had to contend with electrical storms, squalls and severe sea states, as well as periods of light winds, and there have been 11 retirements so far. They included another line honours hopeful, the 100ft Scallywag , which had to retire after snapping the bowsprit in the first day of racing.

Other boats retired due to rigging damage, mainsail damage, and severe seasickness caused by the unpleasant sea state.  

Most dramatically the double-handed entry Rum Rebellion retired after being knocked down and having a Man Overboard, who was safely recovered.  

Co-skipper Shane Connelly reported that they were approximately 20 miles offshore on the first evening of the race, sailing under full main and spinnaker in 6-10 knots of wind, when the wind suddenly increased to over 16 knots with a ‘ferocious’ looking storm cloud approaching from behind.  

The duo prepared to drop the spinnaker, but a micro-burst of wind hit the yacht, causing a knockdown. Connelly, who had gone forwards during the spinnaker drop, was thrown overboard but tethered, and as the boat righted was lifted back onboard. He reported after: “The safety drills and systems all worked and we could sort ourselves out”

The stormy conditions caused issues across the fleet on the first night. Aboard the Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes crew member Geoff Cropley reported this morning: “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.”

Azzuro, an S&S 34 owned by Jack Kliner, with crew including Jessica Watson, during the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Meanwhile the battle for IRC overall continues. IRC 1 contender Alive , a Reichel Pugh 66 with a talent-packed crew including Gavin Brady, Stu Bannatyne and legendary Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan, a veteran of 30 Hobart races. Close behind them on the IRC rankings is Hobart grandee, Sean Langman on the Reichel Pugh 69 Moneypenny led IRC 0, while the  S&S 34 Azzurro raced by Jessica Watson  is fastest of the small boats on the current IRC rankings.  

LawConnect wins Sydney to Hobart race in dramatic finish

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Andoo Comanche outlasts LawConnect to win Sydney to Hobart line honours

• Finish time less than three hours off race record set in 2017
• Black Jack crosses third, Hamilton Island Wild Oats fourth

Andoo Comanche has claimed line honours in the Sydney to Hobart for the fourth time, marking a triumphant return for the supermaxi after a brief hiatus.

The 100-foot yacht crossed the River Derwent finish line shortly before 1am (AEDT) on Wednesday with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

Andoo Comanche, which had not sailed the 628-nautical mile bluewater classic since tasting success in 2019, has now claimed line honours in four of the past seven races.

She held off a strong challenge in darkness down the River Derwent from LawConnect, which finished about 27 minutes later.

Last year’s line honours victor, Black Jack, was third, while nine-time winner, Hamilton Island Wild Oats, finished in fourth place.

Andoo Comanche skipper John Winning Jr was joined on the crossing by his father, who had competed in the Sydney to Hobart race back in the 1970s.

“It’s pretty emotional. These are the types of things that you look back on and say you’re glad you got those opportunities,” Winning Jr said. “He’s a big golfer and I hate golf, so it’s the only sport we can do together.”

Winning Jr dedicated the victory to “dear friend” Matt Munting, who helped him set up his extreme sports venture Andoo X.

Andoo Comanche set the pace down Australia’s east coast despite a poor start on Boxing Day.

Winning Jr said his crew had to navigate some “hairy” moments in the early stages, made more difficult by spectator zones that narrowed the course. The supermaxi also hit a 10-foot log early in the race, suffering a chip to her rudder.

Winning Jr said he was worried about the winds dying in the notoriously fickle River Derwent. “[Winning the race] didn’t feel real until the last minute. It means a hell of a lot,” he said.

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Andoo Comanche, the pre-race favourite, was at one stage on track to break the line-honours record time – one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds – she set in 2017 but ultimately missed out by almost three hours.

She is the first yacht to take out Sydney to Hobart line honours under three different owners or skippers.

Andoo Comanche was one of two supermaxis forced to take penalty turns during a dramatic start to the race in Sydney on Monday. The overall race winner, decided on handicap, will be decided in the coming days.

Just three yachts have so far retired from the starting fleet of 109, a far cry from 2021’s race when 36 boats pulled the pin across the first two days in rough weather. The Sydney to Hobart was not held in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: LawConnect wins thriller to break bridesmaid hoodoo

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LawConnect pips Andoo Comanche by 51 seconds to win Sydney to Hobart

LawConnect has won the 2023 Sydney to Hobart line honours in incredible fashion, in what was the second closest finish ever.

The 100-foot supermaxi sailed into Hobart harbour just after 8am on Thursday, 51 seconds ahead of Andoo Comanche.

The closest recorded finish to the race was in 1982, when Condor Of Bermuda beat Apollo by just seven seconds.

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The race came down to the wire as the two superyachts duelled over the final few miles, and LawConnect made up significant ground to overtake and then beat Andoo Comanche before the line.

Andoo Comanche had led by as much as four kilometres only half an hour earlier. Andoo Comanche was the reigning champion.

LawConnect and its owner Christian Beck had been runner-up in the race the past three years.

The yacht was first out of Sydney harbour, while Andoo Comanche ran into trouble and almost collided with fellow supermaxi Scallywag, which was forced to retire six hours later.

LawConnect wins the 2023 event in one day, 19 hours, three minutes and 58 seconds. Andoo Comanche took one day, 19 hours, four minutes and 49 seconds to complete the 628-nautical mile course.

Earlier, Beck had spoken as his yacht attempted to chase down Andoo Comanche, who several media outlets had already declared the line honours winner.

"You can watch where they go, and if they go slow, we go somewhere else," Beck told the broadcast.

"We've come second three times in a row, so we really want to win...we're obviously happy to be in the Derwent too, but we'd like to be a little closer to Comanche."

LawConnect was flying a protest flag as it crossed the finish line, which confused spectators.

Sailing master Tony Mutter later explained the crew were protesting Andoo Comanche, but may not follow through with it.

"We did notify the race committee that we were flying a protest flag... for an incident during the race that we thought affected our performance," Mutter said.

"We slowed down for half an hour… on standby for a boat we thought was in distress.

"There was no intent on their part to create that problem...we're not suggesting that at all."

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Sailing: Kiwi-skippered LawConnect wins Sydney to Hobart race in dramatic finish

The boats battle to the finish line. Credits: Image - Getty Images, video - Supplied

It was fourth time lucky for LawConnect's Kiwi skipper Christian Beck as his supermaxi reined in Andoo Comanche over the final approach to claim line honours in the 78th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race by 51 seconds on Thursday.

The two big yachts had run neck-and-neck at the front of the fleet of more 100 boats over 628 nautical miles (1163 km) from Sydney harbour to Tasmania's main southern port.

LawConnect, which last won the race under the name Perpetual Loyal in 2016, had finished runner-up in line honours for the last three runnings of the bluewater classic, last year behind Comanche.

Thousands of spectators gathered at Hobart's Constitution Dock to watch one of the closest finishes in the long history of Australia's most prestigious ocean race.

"I can't believe that result, I never thought it was possible," Beck told reporters at the quay.

"We thought we'd definitely lost it 15 minutes before because they were three miles ahead ... (but) wind gusts came in, it was a complete surprise."

Stormy weather had made conditions tough and the winning time was one day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds, well outside the record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche in 2017.

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Most of the rest of the fleet remains in the sometimes volatile Bass Strait, which separates the mainland from the island state of Tasmania, and the winner of the overall handicap title might not be known for several days.

Eleven boats have retired from the race but there have been no fatalities, a reflection of improved safety standards since six sailors were killed when a major storm hit the fleet during the 1998 running of the race.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

InfoTrack has been renamed LawConnect .  She wowed with her brilliant second over the line in 2019; 44minutes 18 seconds astern of Comanche after a five way super maxi battle to Hobart - and placed third overall in Division 0.  Christian Beck’s boat returns a hot prospect for line honours.  She finished a close fourth over the line in 2018 after a protracted battle with Wild Oats XI , Black Jack and Comanche , in conditions not suited to her weight.  In 2020, she took the line/overall double in the Cabbage Tree Island Race in light breeze, 18 minutes faster than Black Jack over the line.  Since then, Beck has added a larger bowsprit to the boat to enhance her performance.  Since then, they took Cabbage Tree line honours by nearly an hour to SHK Scallywag , but fortunes were reversed in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge.  However, she won the inaugural Income Asset Management Australian Maxi Champs, of which the SBBC was the final race.

Software guru Beck bought the former Speedboat/Rambler/Perpetual Loyal from Anthony Bell in 2017, renamed her InfoTrack , and finished fourth on line in the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart, inside the Sydney Hobart record set by this boat when owned by Bell.  However, a mandatory declaration was not lodged, so a 20 percent penalty dropped InfoTrack down the board to 24 th .  Despite a few bumps along the way, this boat continues to defy her critics.  When owned by Bell, it retired from the 2014 and 2015 Hobarts (damaged after hitting an object and rudder damage respectively), after finishing second on line in 2013.  But Bell more than made up by taking line honours and the race record in 2016.  Beck continues the tradition of taking a few employees along for their first taste of the race – an unbelievable opportunity for them to do the race – and with pros such as Tony Mutter and Chris Nicholson

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LawConnect Wins 2023 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Lawconnect overtook andoo comanche in the final moments to win the sydney hobart yacht race..

Christian Beck’s LawConnect claimed line honors at 8:03 a.m. on Thursday, December 28 after sailing for one day, 19 hours, three minutes, and 58 seconds. Reigning champion Andoo Comanche held the upper hand for most of the 628 nautical mile race, but ultimately fell short.

Only 51 seconds separated LawConnect and Andoo Comanche at the end, making it the second closest finish the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has ever seen. Condor beating Apollo over the line by seven seconds in 1982 marks the closest.

While LawConnect and Andoo Comanche were battling for first, there was a close finish for third place, too. URM Group , Alive , and Moneypenny spent most of the race in a tight match, but URM Group jumped away on Thursday, finishing in third. URM Group finished with a time of two days, two hours, seven minutes, and 19 seconds, followed by Alive and then Moneypenny .

Imagery by ROLEX and Kurt Arrigo.

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51 seconds apart after 628 nautical miles: LawConnect edges Comanche in Sydney to Hobart race

Comanche heads down Sydney Harbour during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

Skallywag, left, and Comanche sail close during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

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HOBART, Australia (AP) — LawConnect won line honors in the 78th edition of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Thursday, holding off defending champion Andoo Comanche by less than a minute in an exciting finish between the super maxis.

The pair of 100-foot yachts had dueled for much of the race and were well ahead of the rest of the fleet of 103 yachts that started the race on Tuesday in Sydney harbor.

LawConnect, which was runner-up in the last three editions of the race, finished in 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds. Comanche’s time was 1 day, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds — a margin of just 51 seconds.

It was the second-closest finish in Sydney to Hobart history after Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by seven seconds in 1982.

Both yachts performed several late jibes as they attempted to secure the lead.

“I can’t believe that result. Honestly, it is a dream come true,” LawConnect’s skipper and owner Christian Beck said. “They took the lead pretty close to the line and we thought there was no way we could get it back.

“A wind gust came around. It was a complete surprise. There were guys who couldn’t watch. It was very nerve wracking.”

Comanche holds the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, set when it won the race in 2017.

“It is pretty painful, we’ve got an amazing boat that should have won,” Comanche skipper and owner John Winning Jr. said of Thursday’s result. “The other guys sailed their guts out and left nothing on the table. They beat us with an underdog boat, those guys deserve all the praise they get.”

“It was one of the most epic finishes in probably any sailing race I know. In the last three minutes I think the lead changed three times.”

Comanche and LawConnect were clear front-runners from just out of Sydney harbor. The pair began the trip down the New South Wales south coast at a fast clip but fell off the race record pace. The finish was at Constitution Dock in Hobart, the capital of the island state of Tasmania.

The highest-profile retirement of 11 race withdrawals was SHK Scallywag, one of four 100-foot super maxis which sustained a broken bow sprit and withdrew on the first evening of the race.

LawConnect was the first yacht out of the harbor.

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Sydney to Hobart updates: Andoo Comanche and LawConnect poised for line honours river duel

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Super Maxi Law Connect (R) and Andoo Comanche (C) during the 2023 Sydney to Hobart race. Photo / Getty Images

Supermaxi yachts Andoo Comanche and LawConnect are set for a tight tussle up the River Derwent to determine line honours in the Sydney to Hobart .

The two 100-footers were within sight of each other as they passed Tasman Island before 5am on Thursday, about 40 nautical miles from the finish line.

Last year’s winner Comanche had the advantage down Tasmania’s east coast on Wednesday night, but LawConnect - runner-up at the past three events - has made up ground.

The closest finish in Sydney to Hobart history came in 1982 when Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by a mere seven seconds.

LawConnect, skippered and owned by Christian Beck, was first out of the heads in Sydney on Boxing Day after a dramatic start to the 628-nautical mile bluewater classic.

Comanche - the pre-race favourite - flew a protest flag, accusing fellow supermaxi SHK Scallywag of tacking too close to her as the pair made their way out.

Scallywag, which completed a protest turn as a result, was forced to retire roughly six hours into the race after breaking her bow sprit.

Eleven of the race’s starting 103-strong fleet have pulled the pin, with some reporting damage and seasickness in challenging conditions which included a thunderstorm on the first night.

LawConnect navigator Chris Lewis described the stormy seas as “wild” with 180-degree wind shifts.

Moneypenny, URM Group and Alive are in a bunch about 90 nautical miles behind the two duelling leaders, with the third remaining supermaxi Wild Thing 100 further back in sixth.

URM Group has battled jib damage and lost her code zero spinnaker.

Shane Connelly, skipper of retired two-handed entrant Rum Rebellion, was briefly flung overboard on Boxing Day off the NSW coast in strong winds.

There may be further challenges for crews, with a strong wind warning in place on Thursday for waters off Tasmania’s east coast.

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race sees Black Jack, Law Connect, Scallywag vie for line honours

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With more than a third of the fleet out, the consolation of better weather awaits those left in the battle to take out line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Key points:

• The three supermaxis — yachts over 100 feet in length — are leading the fleet 
• Many smaller yachts have been forced out due to damage
• The weather forecast is for better conditions as the fleet closes in on Hobart

Supermaxis Law Connect, Black Jack and Scallywag are leading the fleet into Bass Strait, on a day which has seen the hopes of many competitors dashed.

The race has so far taken a heavy toll on smaller craft, with many retiring due to the conditions.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Noel Cornish says the fleet encountered strong but not severe southerly winds. 

"The current running south three or four knots against this southerly has caused very, very difficult seaway and that's what's resulted in these sort of retirement rates that we're seeing," he said. 

"So we've got a lot of torn mainsails mainly and some rigging damage that's predominantly taken these boats out."

"With respect to the sort of medium-size and smaller boats in the fleet, they've probably got another 12 hours or so of these southerly conditions before they move into easier times."

The commodore said it was gut-wrenching for crews to have to retire. 

"It's a terrible feeling to retire from the race.

"I talked to some of the crews who are back in Sydney this morning after they'd retired, before I flew down here, and they're all trying to keep their spirits up and wishing their colleagues out on the track all the very best."

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Tristan Oakley said the weather conditions in Bass Strait are calmer than what the fleet faced last night. 

"There's still a bit of a headwind for them with those southerly winds, but it's not actually looking too bad, the winds aren't too strong, and there's only a little bit of a one, one and a half metre southerly swell as well," he said. 

"The weather conditions are probably a lot better than what they've been experiencing so far."

The fleet will have to battle headwinds as they head down Tasmania's coast but might see their fortunes change when they enter the River Derwent.

"They'll actually start seeing a bit of a tailwind because there should be a bit of a sea breeze coming in as well so conditions should be a bit more favourable as they move up the Derwent in the afternoon," Mr Oakley said. 

Oskana to the aid of stricken boat

Oskana Crew member Mike Hutchinson said the weather and sea conditions last night were worse than forecast.

"A really confused sea state, wind in the low 30s but just driving rain, which is difficult if you were steering or steering for too long in those conditions."

Mr Hutchinson says the Tasmanian yacht's crew decided to retire after trying three times to set the headsail. 

"That was getting to the point where it was probably getting a little bit dangerous for crew members to be continually trying to get sails back in over the foredeck in that sort of sea state." 

The Oskana was then called to aid another yacht which was badly damaged. 

"One of the local TP 52s had sustained some pretty major hull damage so we decided to stand by and ended up following them back into Woollongong."

Conditions plays havoc with fleet

Crystal Cutter III retired early on Monday afternoon with mainsail damage, as did Kialoa II after sustaining rig damage, taking the number of retirements to 28. 

Tasmanian yacht Alive began taking on water after suffering hull damage. 

Race organisers said Alive issued a Pan-Pan distress signal, indicating a state of urgency that is not life-threatening.

The crew reported the yacht was taking on water but did not require assistance. 

Alive is heading back to Woolwich in Sydney, reporting to team members it was heavy going but that the situation was stable.

Stefan Racing, which is keeping up with the leaders, also posted to Facebook that it was "super windy, wet and cold".

"Classic Sydney Hobart weather was served to the fleet on their first night out … survived the first night with all crew well and in good spirits. Let's see what unfolds."

Tasmanian yacht Midnight Rambler's crew posted a social media update revealing fellow racer Oskana had shadowed Denali back to safe port after Denali suffered structural damage to her hull. 

Oskana has retired due to a broken forestay. 

"Heading inshore, earlier and further than most of the fleet the next few hours will be crucial for Midnight Ramblers Race," the post said. 

"Thoughts are obviously also with those who have been forced to retire."

Conditions set to ease for big yachts

The Bureau of Meteorology's Luke Johnston said the fleet was hit with strong southerly winds after rounding Sydney Heads on Sunday afternoon, causing havoc. 

"Normally with winds like what we were seeing last night in the 20-30 knot range we see seas of around 2-3 metres which is pretty choppy, and coming out of the relatively sheltered Sydney Heads it would have been quite a change," Mr Johnston said.  

"I'd imagine the drastic change would have been quite dramatic and fairly sudden once they got away from the sheltered areas."

Mr Johnston said the yachts still in the race were through the worst of conditions, but some slower boats were still facing heavy winds. 

Multiple yachts retire 

Among the other retired boats are Moneypenny with a broken forestay, Blink, Mako Hip-Nautic, Minerva and Mille Sabords with a damaged main, No Limit due to a crew member dislocating their shoulder, White Noise with window damage and Zen with a minor injury.

Moneypenny's owner Sean Langman said breaking the forestay wasn't "ideal".

"We were doing quite a bit of short tacking and there was a bit of current and the seas were up," he said.

"Let's say it was pretty fruity. We were using new technology with foils. We had faith in the new system, I suppose you learn from this."

In the two-handed category, Tasmanian yacht Sidewinder, sailed by Rob Gough and John Saul, is leading the fleet, which has been reduced to 14.

Three yachts retired overnight in the rough conditions: Eora with a broken backstay and Tasmanian entry Hip-Nautic with a damaged mainsail.

Hip-Nautic crew member Drew Meincke said the yacht had been travelling well through the storm before being forced to turn around and head back to Sydney. 

"Unfortunately, one little bounce off a wave and a part on the sail failed and left us in a position where we were unable to reduce the sail any smaller," he said. 

"We couldn't continue with where we were safely without doing more damage."

It's the first year the two-handed category has been held.

Comanche's 2017 race record of one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, is not under threat.

The race has returned this year after COVID-19 forced its cancellation last year, but the pandemic has still had an impact.

Three positive COVID-19 cases were detected among the crew of Willow. The yacht's owner, Jim Cooney, said on Sunday his crew were awaiting the results of two other tests.

Another yacht, Maverick 49, was also withdrawn by owner Quentin Stewart. 

Stewart told organisers that while COVID-19 has not been detected in his crew, he did not want to take the risk of exposing his crew to the virus.

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