Comanche is in the lead in the 2023 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race after Alive, a contender for a record third handicap victory, retired due to engine problems.
Master Lock Comanche maintained a comfortable lead down the New South Wales coast in the 2023 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race . The 66-footer retired off Wollongong with engine issues around 4pm on Thursday’s first day of racing, reducing the fleet to 103 boats amid a strong north-easterly breeze. Alive had only just returned to the water following last-minute repairs on a damaged canard board that forced her out of the Cabbage Tree Island Race and Big Boat Challenge in the lead-up to Boxing Day.
The retirement was a bitter blow for Alive, which was vying to become only the fourth boat in history to win the race on handicap three times, after Freya, Love & War and Ichi Ban.The boat boasted an impressive crew, including highly-prized navigator Adrienne Cahalan, the most successful woman in the race’s history. Instead, Alive began the journey back to land as handicap contenders URM Group, Celestial V70 and Zeus waged on. Alive was unlikely to be the last boat to retire, though, as the fleet braced for wild conditions in the Bass Strait overnight. Elsewhere, Comanche had built up a 7nm lead over second-placed LawConnect by 4.30pm after trailing her rival 100ft supermaxi out of theLawConnect gave up her lead when a furling line malfunctioned, but managed to recover, having suffered a similar problem early in last year’s race. The fast start will be a big confidence booster for Comanche after LawConnect ambushed her in the River Derwent to take line honours by only 51 seconds last year. The 2023 race was front of mind for Comanche’s two new co-skippers before they set out on Boxing Day.“There’s a lot of people who sailed on this boat last year who missed out narrowly and this year, they’re hungrier than ever.” Drama unfolded early on as fellow supermaxi Wild Thing 100 narrowly avoided a collision with Celestial V70 before recapturing her speed out of the Heads. Wild Thing was at the centre of another incident in the harbour that left leading URM Group to complete a penalty turn
Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race Comanche Alive Retirement
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