ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART: Maxis play cat and mouse – two more retirements

• NEWS
• 27 Dec, 2023 05:30:00 AM

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART: Maxis play cat and mouse – two more retirements

As Andoo Comanche and LawConnect continue their game of cat and mouse at the front end of the Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet, little more than 4 nautical miles separating the pair, two further retirements were reported overnight. 

The Michael Spies skippered TP52, Maritimo 52 (Qld), sustained rig damage which ultimately caused other damage to the boat.

Crew member Peter Jones said, “The fitting on the deck for the forestay shredded, which ripped the No. 4 headsail and the mainsail. We tried to work a million ways around it, but we would have been sailing at 50 percent. We are shattered.

“The weather shocking overnight. We had as much lightning as I’ve ever seen. The sou-west front came through, we saw high 20s to early 30s (knots) and had solid rain for three hours.

“We were south of Jervis Bay, 115 miles down the course. Everyone on board is fine,” ended Jones, who expects the yacht to be back at the CYCA around mid-afternoon today.

Then came the news that Sticky, the Cookson 50 owned by Richard Harris, had suffered electrical damage, forcing her retirement.

Both yachts were expected to do well in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical mile race.

The two retirements means there are 98 boats still in the race, inclusive of 17 two-handed entries.

This morning at 5.45am, the John Winning Jr skippered Andoo Comanche and Christian Beck’s LawConnect were respectively 100 and 104 nautical miles south-east of Green Cape, as they head into Bass Strait.

Andoo Comanche is 88nm behind the record she set in 2017 of 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds. She was travelling at 18-19 knots, while LawConnect was moving along at 21 knots.

Behind them was the 2018 winner, Alive (Tas), the RP66 owned by Phillip Turner and skippered by Duncan Hine and race favourite, URM Group, the RP72 owned by Anthony Johnston and skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones.

The two yachts were just 10 and 18nm respectively behind LawConnect

Di Pearson/RSHYR media