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Friendly fire and fine margins: 100 foot rivals brace for a weather-shaped Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Home 2025 Friendly fire and fine margins: 100 foot rivals brace for a weather-shaped Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

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The banter was sharp, the smiles genuine, and the respect unmistakable as the leading maxi skippers gathered for the Compulsory Race Briefing ahead of the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

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At the top end of the fleet, where multimillion-dollar yachts and world-class sailors collide, the mood was a blend of competitive edge and old-mates’ familiarity.  

Yet beneath the jokes and self-deprecation lay a shared acknowledgment that this year’s race is unlikely to be decided by raw horsepower alone.  
 
Instead, the forecast — unsettled, uneven and tactically demanding — may be the true arbiter. 

No one leaned harder into the underdog narrative than two-time defending champion Christian Beck, whose LawConnect has somehow managed to dominate recent editions despite being, in his words, “worse in every way” than its chief rival. 

From left to right: Beck, Allen, Wharington, Richards and Witt - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

“The Sydney Hobart is the only sport in the world where a ‘s***box’ has been winning for the last two years,” Beck quipped, drawing laughs from the room and a raised eyebrow from those sitting beside him.  
 
“If they (the other skippers) race well, we’ve really got no chance. Their boats are so much better than ours. We sort of need things to go wrong for them.” 

A bit of banter between Beck and Allen - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

The “they” in question, of course, was Master Lock Comanche — the 100-footer that holds the race record (set in 2017 when owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant) and has long been considered the benchmark for outright pace. For Beck, the reality is simple: when conditions suit LawConnect, they usually suit Comanche even more. 

“Our problem is that if it’s good for us, it’s also good for them,” he said. “So, we really just need our mates to keep stuffing up.” 

That assessment was politely but firmly rejected by Master Lock Comanche co-skipper, Matt Allen, who suggested Beck’s modesty was as tactical as it was entertaining. 

“Christian likes to play the underdog,” Allen said. “But upwind, LawConnect is a really good boat — and in the really light stuff later on, probably a better boat than us. I think it’s going to be a really intriguing battle.” 

Allen acknowledged that last year’s Hobart ended early for Comanche after the mainsail tore, a disappointment given the weight of expectation surrounding the campaign. Twelve months on, he said those issues had been addressed but warned that preparation alone would not guarantee success. 

Master Lock Comanche's Matt Allen - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

“This year it’s really the weather at play,” he said. “There’s no race record on the table, that’s for sure. The conditions just don’t support that. It’s going to come down to who manages the transitions best.” 

That uncertainty loomed large for Grant Wharington and his Wild Thing 100 crew for this, the 80th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Despite upgrading to a full rig since last year — when the boat finished third across the line with a smaller sail plan — Wharington admitted the forecast may blunt their strengths.

 

Friends on land and rivals on the water: Allen and Wharington - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

“I’d actually be happier going back to the B rig for this race,” said Wharington. “The full rig makes us more competitive downwind, but that’s probably not going to help us this year.” 

Wild Thing 100 is the lightest of the 100-footers, a trait that can be an advantage in flat water but a liability when the sea state deteriorates. 

“In the bump, it’s hard for us,” Wharington said. “We don’t have the mass these guys have. Light air later could be good, but whether we’ve got enough time to catch up remains to be seen.” 

Still, he was quick to point out that conditions could throw up unexpected contenders, including SHK Scallywag 100, which has shown impressive upwind speed in the past. 

Witt is laser focused on getting the Line Honours win - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

“I sailed with Witty (David Witt) back in 2019 and we were super quick uphill,” he said. “There are at least three boats that could put time on us if it lines up right.” 

For SHK Scallywag 100’s skipper, the Hobart remains an unfinished chapter. Despite decades at the elite end of offshore sailing, victory in this race has so far eluded him. 

“To finish first, first you must first finish,” Witt said dryly, reflecting on recent campaigns that were undone by mechanical failures. Asked whether the fleet might arrive in Hobart close together, he was cautiously optimistic. 

“I could definitely see everyone coming in pretty tight,” he said. “We’re just battlers from Hong Kong doing our best.” 

Adding further intrigue is the return of Palm Beach XI, formerly Wild Oats XI, under the stewardship of legendary skipper Mark Richards. After three years away from the race, Richards is back following an intense refit program — albeit with limited time on the water. 

“It’s almost easier to say what we haven’t changed on the boat,” Richards said. “New keel, new bulb, new daggerboards. We’ve even developed new C-Foils, but we’ve decided not to take them because we’re just not quite ready.” 

Richards is counting on his highly experienced team for this year's race - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

The decision to prioritise reliability over outright innovation reflects the realities of a race that punishes even minor miscalculations. 

“We’ve only sailed twice,” Richards admitted. “But we’ve got an incredibly experienced team, people from all around the world, and some of the best navigators you could ask for. When it gets really rough and bumpy, narrow boats aren’t that bad either.” 

Beyond the tactical analysis and performance projections, the briefing at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia headquarters was also a reminder of the deep personal connections that bind this fleet together. 
 
Allen spoke of friendships forged over decades — from Mornington Peninsula beginnings to trans-Pacific races — and the way rivalry fades once the dock lines are cast off. 

“We go back a long way,” he said. “On Boxing Day at one o’clock, we might not be such good mates, but apart from then, we are. That’s what makes this race special.” 

Beck echoed that sentiment, noting that his latest Hobart carries extra personal meaning as he sails alongside his 18-year-old son, Indy, who recovered from serious illness this year. 

Beck looks forward to sailing with his son Indy - CYCA/Alex Dare pic.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “He’s wanted to do this since he was about 10.” 

As the fleet prepares to leave Sydney Heads, there is no clear favourite — only a cluster of boats with overlapping strengths and vulnerabilities, all subject to the same shifting breeze and unpredictable seas.  

In a race defined as much by resilience as speed, the friendly rivalry on display may soon give way to a far sterner test. 

And if the skippers agree on anything, it is this: in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, confidence is provisional, luck is fleeting, and the weather always gets the final say. 

Steve Dettre/RSHYR media