By Ethan James
NSW yacht Celestial V70 has been named the provisional overall winner of a Sydney to Hobart race marred by the death of two competitors.
The 70-footer was second across the line at 5.10 am on Saturday and skipper Sam Haynes and his crew were presented with the Tattersall Cup on Sunday afternoon with its victory on adjusted time virtually assured.
The 79th edition of the 628 nautical mile event was hit by tragedy on the first night of sailing when two competitors died at sea in rough weather.
“We are very conscious of the events that have occurred in this race,” Haynes said.
“It’s something that is on the mind of myself and the crew. We are very … saddened and we are thinking about the families of those involved.”
Haynes, the commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, described wild conditions for the boat across Bass Strait as “nuclear”.
“The stretch across Bass Strait was most difficult for us – but we negotiated that transition between the northerly breeze and into the front,” he said.
Veterinarian Haynes chartered the Volvo 70 with a view to reclaiming the Tattersall Cup after winning the race on handicap in a smaller boat named Celestial two years ago.
Supermaxi LawConnect was first to arrive in Hobart in darkness on Saturday morning, taking out back-to-back line honours victories.
The yacht skippered by millionaire Christian Beck, had a finish time of one day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds.
There have been 30 retirements in weather that hit 40 knots, including line honours contender Master Lock Comanche and 2023 overall winner Tasmanian yacht Alive.
Roy Quaden, 55, and 65-year-old Nick Smith died off the NSW south coast after being hit by on-board equipment on yachts Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline respectively.
Race organisers have pledged an investigation into the deaths – the first since 1998 when six sailors were killed, prompting mass safety reforms.
LawConnect tempered celebrations in respect to Quaden and Smith after crossing the finish line.
Experienced skipper of MWF Kayle, John Whitfield, said winds were 10-15 knots on Sunday morning, making for “champagne” conditions off Tasmania’s coast after taxing earlier racing.
Whitfield, in his 30th Sydney to Hobart, said his crew had to drain their engine twice after it became flooded.
“We’ve had plenty of water across the bow and plenty down below. We are thinking about those who lost their lives,” he said.