Comanche is on track to claim line honours in the 75th edition of the Sydney to Hobart, after making the most of overnight winds to break free of a five-strong supermaxi pack.
At 4.00am AEDT on Saturday the two-time winner was about 17 nautical miles ahead of InfoTrack and approaching Hobart's River Derwent.An early morning finish of between 6am and 7am is tipped.
Comanche had the lead on Friday evening after taking a wider route across Bass Strait before extending her advantage down Tasmania's east coast.Black Jack and SHK Scallywag 100 are jostling for third position about 10 miles behind InfoTrack, while nine-time winner Wild Oats XI is in fifth. Comanche, skippered by Samantha Grant and Jim Cooney, was last year pipped by Wild Oats XI in a nail-biting finish on the River Derwent.
New South Wales boat Minerva became the fleet's third retirement overnight, reducing the number of yachts on the water to 154.
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