A series of clashes between super maxis fighting to be first out of Sydney Harbour set up a thrilling and chaotic start to the 77th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, with two leading contenders making penalty turns inside the first 20 minutes.
Line honours favourite Andoo Comanche and rival supermaxi Hamilton Island Wild Oats each opted to execute a penalty turn as insurance against a more costly sanction being imposed on arrival in Hobart.
Andoo Comanche navigator Justin Shaffer said they took their penalty turn after another boat protested against them, but he declined to identify which yacht it was and said that the matter would be resolved in Hobart.
Hamilton Island Wild Oats took its penalty turn in the harbour several minutes after Andoo Comanche in an attempt to cover for an unknown suspected infringement, following a confused discussion onboard about whether they had broken any rules.
Andoo Comanche, which led the fleet off Jervis Bay late on Monday afternoon, confirmed it had raised a penalty flag against an unknown rival following what its crew saw as another infringement. Shaffer refused to provide any further information.
The drama on the high seas began less than two minutes after the starting cannon was fired, when Comanche and LawConnect found themselves in tussle with 35-metre contender Whisper. All were headed to a near-collision, with Whisper and LawConnect passing with only a metre between them.
Andoo Comanche and LawConnect cross paths during the chaotic start on Sydney harbour.Credit:Brook Mitchell
John Winning Jr, skipper onboard Comanche, which was headed straight toward the chaos, was heard yelling, “Where am I gonna go?”
“Gybe now, gybe now, gybe now,” he later instructed the crew, as the boat rapidly turned its stern through the wind in a bid to escape. The crew began shouting, “Protest, protest” after the incident, but the crew refused to confirm whether the incident was the reason for their protest flag being raised.
Media officials were similarly tight-lipped about the details of the claims. Information about protests is generally only revealed at the end of the race, when crews are docked in Hobart.
It was one of several near-misses in a bumpy harbour crowded by a fleet of spectator boats race organisers said was “easily double” the number of previous years. That created choppy conditions around the heads as crews fought to escape what Channel Seven commentator Jimmy Spithill called a “washing machine”.
Wild Oats edged out its three rivals to lead past the first buoy in the harbour, but was overhauled by LawConnect which led the way out the heads. As of 8pm Monday, Andoo Comanche – along with the other super maxis and Stefan Racing and Willow – are on track to beat the 2017 race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche.
But their ability to keep up their speed – Comanche is currently travelling at 21.2 knots Stefan Racing is at 16.5 knots – will depend on weather overnight. A cold front will continue to deliver northerly winds, increasing the hope of a solid run for the larger boats, before southerly winds begin to move up on Wednesday and Thursday.
Just before 8pm, Andoo Comanche, which had previously been heading away from the coast, made a sharp turn starboard in a bid to maintain their lead over LawConnect in second place. At 8pm, it was about six nautical miles in front.
Two-hander Avalanche was the first boat forced to retire from the race just before 3pm after breaking its bowsprit. YeahBaby retired from the race in the evening after her rudder was damaged. They are expected to return to Sydney by midnight.
The confusing and controversial race start brought back memories of 2017, when Wild Oats opted not to take a penalty turn after an incident shortly after the start of the race.
She crossed the line first but dropped back to second after being slapped with a one-hour penalty by an international jury for a rule breach related to an incident with LDV Comanche in the harbour.
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