Skip to main content
Time to race start
00 days
:
00 hrs
:
00 min
:
00 sec

Christian Beck thrilled with second on Line Honours

Home 2025 Christian Beck thrilled with second on Line Honours

Article Image

You could be forgiven for thinking Christian Beck’s LawConnect crew had just won the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

news
—

Time & Date: 28/12/2025 – 2200 hours (57 hours after the start) 
 
The scene at LawConnect’s berth at Kings Pier Marina, Hobart, on a sunny, crisp Hobart Sunday evening were joyous. Cheers echoed across the marina as crew members congratulated one another, posed for photos, and welcomed family on the dock. Beck and his wife Rachel, who returned to the race after a two-year hiatus, tucked into a plate of hot chips, their first 'real food' since Boxing Day. 

In fact, LawConnect finished second to Matt Allen and James Mayo’s Master Lock Comanche, to fall short of obtaining a third consecutive Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Line Honours win.

LawConnect leading out of Sydney Harbour - ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo pic.

Master Lock Comanche, the race record holder since 2017, finished the race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with finishing partner the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania,at 1803 hours this evening (28 December), in a time of 2 days 5 hours 3 minutes 36 seconds.  

LawConnect arrived around 47 minutes later, at 1850 hours. But that did not upset Beck, who was thrilled with his crew’s mammoth effort in a race beset by tough conditions and breakages. 

Beck was chuffed that LawConnect led the fleet of 128 out of the heads on Boxing Day. He was sure MasterLock Comanche would dominate in the downwind starting conditions. 

“Overall, I’m very happy [with our result],” Beck said. “To be first out of the heads – I loved that start. That was something I will remember forever because to win a downwind start against [Master Lock] Comanche is great. 

“Coming second is also good. Obviously, it is not as good as coming first but against that fleet, it’s a good result.” 

After LawConnect’s near-perfect race start, the team faced a series of issues, including failed instruments, a broken mainsheet and halyard, and a jib that dropped. With the instruments beyond repair, the on-deck crew struggled to determine course bearings, particularly at night. 

As darkness fell, Master Lock Comanche moved ahead. Despite the challenges, the 20-strong LawConnect crew maintained a steady gap of around four nautical miles for much of the 628-nautical-mile race. 

High speeds on board LawConnect - ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo pic.

“On the first night we were leading and we would’ve still been leading if we hadn’t had those breakages,” Beck said.  

In addition to the breakages, on night one, Beck, sailing his eighth Sydney Hobart, suffered from sea sickness amid confused and rough seas. 

“The toughest part was that it was into the wind [upwind] and quite rough swell for about more than 30 hours and it was very difficult,” Beck said. “I was sick. It was really tough. 

“It was the most unpleasant [race] I’ve ever done.” 

Master Lock Comanche greeted by a fleet of spectators - ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo pic.

When conditions eased on the final day, LawConnect faced another setback as the mainsail tore while the reefs came out and the sail returned to its full height. The professional crew, which included Beck’s 18-year-old son Indy in his first Hobart, regrouped and patched the sail. 

LawConnect then lost second place as the wind softened off Tasmania’s East Coast. SHK Scallywag 100, helmed by David Witt, surged from third to first. The margins were that tight Beck could see both rivals from the rail. 

As the breeze returned, LawConnect reclaimed second place. SHK Scallywag later lost the lead to Master Lock Comanche and slipped back to third, where it finished. 

Beck hoped the River Derwent would deliver one of its usual windless spells and offer an edge over Master Lock Comanche, but it was not to be. 

“We were hoping they [Master Lock Comanche] would park up so we could catch up, so it was disappointing in that regard,” Beck said. 

Former Olympic swimmer and LawConnect crew member Ian Thorpe praised the race and his fellow crew.

“I’m exhausted,” Thorpe said. “But we had a great race and a great crew, and ’m just  happy to be here.”

Greta Quealy/RSHYR media