February 2016 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5. COMANCHE Takes Line Honours at Sydney-Hobart Race
One of the most impressive races in the world is the Sydney-Hobart, which starts the day after Christmas from Sydney, Australia and goes across the Bass Strait to Hobart, Tasmania. The course is just over 600 miles in length and can be extremely challenging depending on the weather conditions. This year there were 108 boats going to the line and the weather was going to be a factor, and the big question was who was going to get line honours, the two favourites COMAN- CHE or WILD OATS XI?
Before the race it was thought that there was no clear favourite. A major problem in predicting a favourite was that the weather was going to be challenging. At the start the competitors were expecting 15-knots out of the northeast, however, that evening a front was expected and the winds were forecast to swing southerly and build to 30 knots with thunderstorms expected. The further south you could get the better off one would be. The bigger boats were expected to have an easier time and the smaller ones were going to take the brunt of the abuse. Once these gales pass through the winds were to go light and stay out of the south.
COMANCHE would be the favourite for line honours, but WILD OATS XI could certainly get by. WILD OATS XI’s owner and skipper Roger Hickman said that they had been written off by many, but he was confi dent that they were going to surprise everyone.
These two battled it out last year, just after COMANCHE was launched. Without time to see what they had and maybe make changes, plus the light winds they found in the Bass Strait they were at a disadvantage and was the second boat over the fi nish line and in the process gained the nick-name “aircraft carrier.” The win went to WILD OATS XI. COMANCHE next raced at Block Island and took line honours, set the record and was overall winner. During the 2015 Transatlantic Race she set a new record for the distance covered by a monohull over 24 hours, 618.01 nautical miles, which gave her an average speed of 25.75 knots. At the Fastnet Race she had a great battle with the 88-foot RAMBLER taking line honours by a mere four and a half minutes. At the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup COMANCHE took line honours in all four races.
As thought the weather was going to play a major factor in this race especially with the smaller boats, which could not get south fast enough. The fi rst night the winds went south and blew up to 30 knots with gusts much higher. It was not long before the winds claimed their fi rst casualties and among them was WILD OATS XI. In a squall with winds over 40 knots her mainsail tore. Not long after COMANCHE
radioed that they had suffered damage to a daggerboard and rudder and were retiring from the race and began sailing back to Sydney. However, after about 30 miles they radioed the race committee saying that they were going to continue in the race. Another supermaxi, PERPETUAL LOYAL, retired with rudder damage and made her way back to Sydney. The fi rst hours of the storm only ten competitors had retired from the race, but more would as the storm continued to cause problems.
Leading the race into Bass Strait was RAMBLER, with a six mile lead over CO- MANCHE. The only other supermaxi left was RAGAMUFFIN, which was back 19 miles.
Early in the morning of the second day of the race more boats had retired. Not since the 2004 Sydney Hobart Race had the weath- er been such a problem. At this point 29 competitors had retired, just over a quarter of the racers, which is still a lot less than in 2004 when more than 50 percent, 58 of the 117 entered, retired. The latest boat to retire was BLACK JACK, which had an injured crew member, and they headed into Jervis Bay.
The retirements were caused by hull, sail, steering, rigging, and rudder damage, broken mast, electronics and starter motor. With the next update, it was learned that RAMBLER also had daggerboard damage and at this time COMANCHE had an eight mile lead in the race. When she rounded Iron Pot the wind went light and fl uky. There were times she was cruising 15 knots and then all of a sudden she would be going 8.5 knots. When COMANCHE crossed the fi n- ish-line at Castray Esplanade in Hobart, Tas- mania at 2158.30 Kristy Clark became the fi rst female owner to take line honours in this race. Her husband stayed ashore, and even though COMANCHE represents the United States and the New York Yacht Club, Kristy is pure Australian. When they arrived at the dock there was one of the largest crowds ever waiting to greet the victors. The last time an American yacht won this event was 17 years ago when Larry Ellison’s SAYONARA took the honours. COMANCHE’s time was 2 days, 8 hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds, which was 14.5 hours off the record. The question was now who would win
the Tattersall’s Cup for the overall winner. RAMBLER was still in the mix, but many of the smaller boats seemed to have the best chance. The problem facing the smaller boats was the wind had gone light and they may not be able to fi nish quick enough. With RAMBLER nearing the fi nish line she was in second on corrected time. With the time ticking by it was down to BALANCE and QUIKPOINTAZZURRO, but QUIK-
, but one can only wonder if she had not retired and sailed 30 miles back towards Sydney, where she would have fi nished.
Sail # Owners:
COMANCHE 12358
Skipper: Ken Read Sailing Master:
Jim and Kristy Clark Casey Smith
Navigator: Stan Honey Crew: P. Arrate; N. Bur- ridge; Kristy Clark; R. Clarke; J. Clougher; N.
Yacht club:
POINTAZZURRO could not get to the line in time and the top prize went to BALANCE, with COURRIER LEON second and QUIK- POINTAZZURRO. COMANCHE fi nished 13th
Dana; S. Fal- cone; W. Fl- eury; R. God- frey; P. Harm- er; K. Harrap, T. Mutter; J. Von Schwarz; L. Sinclair; J. Spithill; D. De Ridder; and D. Wislang.
New York Yacht Club
Class 100 Supermaxi Designer: Verdier Yacht De- sign & VPLP
Builder Hodgdon Yachts Dimensions:
100’ x 22.3’ x 22.3’
Bring your boat to New England’s most capable yacht yard for the care she deserves. Repairs, refi ts, storage and dockage available for vessels up to 200 feet and 480 tons.
Belfast,Maine 207-930-3740
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31