Scallywag and Comanche were locked in a tight battle on the second day of the Sydney to Hobart, but all eyes were on Wild Oats XI, which dropped into 11th place, raising serious questions about potential problems on the boat.
Scallywag and Comanche were locked in a tight battle on the second day of the Sydney to Hobart, with the two supermaxis sailing neck-and-neck for the lead on Friday morning.
But all eyes were on Wild Oats XI, which dropped into 11th place, raising serious questions about potential problems on the boat. Last year's winner went through an extensive repair job just weeks before the race, after the boat suffered severe damage in early November. The leading yachts passed through the controversial Green Cape checkpoint on Friday morning, with no issues reported. Skippers had been concerned bushfire smoke haze would make high-frequency radio communications difficult, and wanted the option of using satellite phones.Two of the oldest boats in the race lead the handicap pack with Bill Barry-Cotter’s 1904 boat Katwinchar leading the Tattersall Cup race ahead of last year's winner Alive and 2017 winner Ichi Ban.
In Hobart, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania Commodore Tracy Matthews said she was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fleet.
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