{"id":202257,"date":"2025-12-26T05:16:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T05:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/202257\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T05:16:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T05:16:17","slug":"rolex-sydney-hobart-battle-of-the-supermaxis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/202257\/","title":{"rendered":"Rolex Sydney Hobart: Battle of the Supermaxis"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rolex Sydney Hobart: Battle of the Supermaxis – all good mates?
\n by Steve Dettre\/RSHYR media 25 Dec 03:25 PST<\/p>\n


\n Law Connect – Rolex Sydney Hobart Race – December 2025 \u00a9 Andrea Francolini<\/p>\n

\"Henri-Lloyd
<\/a>\"V-DRY-X\"
<\/a><\/p>\n


\nAt the top end of the fleet, where multimillion-dollar yachts and world-class sailors collide, the mood was a blend of competitive edge and old-mates\u2019 familiarity. \n<\/p>\n


\nYet beneath the jokes and self-deprecation lay a shared acknowledgment that this year\u2019s race is unlikely to be decided by raw horsepower alone. \n<\/p>\n


\nInstead, the forecast \u2014 unsettled, uneven and tactically demanding \u2014 may be the true arbiter. \n<\/p>\n


\nNo one leaned harder into the underdog narrative than two-time defending champion Christian Beck, whose LawConnect has somehow managed to dominate recent editions despite being, in his words, \u201cworse in every way\u201d than its chief rival. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cThe Sydney Hobart is the only sport in the world where a \u2018s***box\u2019 has been winning for the last two years,\u201d Beck quipped, drawing laughs from the room and a raised eyebrow from those sitting beside him. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIf they (the other skippers) race well, we\u2019ve really got no chance. Their boats are so much better than ours. We sort of need things to go wrong for them.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nThe \u201cthey\u201d in question, of course, was Master Lock Comanche \u2014 the 100-footer that holds the race record (set in 2017 when owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant) and has long been considered the benchmark for outright pace. For Beck, the reality is simple: when conditions suit LawConnect, they usually suit Comanche even more. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cOur problem is that if it\u2019s good for us, it\u2019s also good for them,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we really just need our mates to keep stuffing up.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nThat assessment was politely but firmly rejected by Master Lock Comanche co-skipper, Matt Allen, who suggested Beck\u2019s modesty was as tactical as it was entertaining. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cChristian likes to play the underdog,\u201d Allen said. \u201cBut upwind, LawConnect is a really good boat \u2014 and in the really light stuff later on, probably a better boat than us. I think it\u2019s going to be a really intriguing battle.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nAllen acknowledged that last year\u2019s Hobart ended early for Comanche after the mainsail tore, a disappointment given the weight of expectation surrounding the campaign. Twelve months on, he said those issues had been addressed but warned that preparation alone would not guarantee success. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cThis year it\u2019s really the weather at play,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no race record on the table, that\u2019s for sure. The conditions just don\u2019t support that. It\u2019s going to come down to who manages the transitions best.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nThat uncertainty loomed large for Grant Wharington and his Wild Thing 100 crew for this, the 80th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Despite upgrading to a full rig since last year \u2014 when the boat finished third across the line with a smaller sail plan \u2014 Wharington admitted the forecast may blunt their strengths. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cI\u2019d actually be happier going back to the B rig for this race,\u201d said Wharington. \u201cThe full rig makes us more competitive downwind, but that\u2019s probably not going to help us this year.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nWild Thing 100 is the lightest of the 100-footers, a trait that can be an advantage in flat water but a liability when the sea state deteriorates. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIn the bump, it\u2019s hard for us,\u201d Wharington said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the mass these guys have. Light air later could be good, but whether we\u2019ve got enough time to catch up remains to be seen.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nStill, he was quick to point out that conditions could throw up unexpected contenders, including SHK Scallywag 100, which has shown impressive upwind speed in the past. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cI sailed with Witty (David Witt) back in 2019 and we were super quick uphill,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are at least three boats that could put time on us if it lines up right.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nFor SHK Scallywag 100\u2019s skipper, the Hobart remains an unfinished chapter. Despite decades at the elite end of offshore sailing, victory in this race has so far eluded him. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cTo finish first, first you must first finish,\u201d Witt said dryly, reflecting on recent campaigns that were undone by mechanical failures. Asked whether the fleet might arrive in Hobart close together, he was cautiously optimistic. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cI could definitely see everyone coming in pretty tight,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re just battlers from Hong Kong doing our best.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nAdding further intrigue is the return of Palm Beach XI, formerly Wild Oats XI, under the stewardship of legendary skipper Mark Richards. After three years away from the race, Richards is back following an intense refit program \u2014 albeit with limited time on the water. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIt\u2019s almost easier to say what we haven\u2019t changed on the boat,\u201d Richards said. \u201cNew keel, new bulb, new daggerboards. We\u2019ve even developed new C-Foils, but we\u2019ve decided not to take them because we\u2019re just not quite ready.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\n \n<\/p>\n


\nRichards is counting on his highly experienced team for this year’s race – CYCA\/Alex Dare pic. \n<\/p>\n


\nThe decision to prioritise reliability over outright innovation reflects the realities of a race that punishes even minor miscalculations. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cWe\u2019ve only sailed twice,\u201d Richards admitted. \u201cBut we\u2019ve got an incredibly experienced team, people from all around the world, and some of the best navigators you could ask for. When it gets really rough and bumpy, narrow boats aren\u2019t that bad either.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nBeyond the tactical analysis and performance projections, the briefing at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia headquarters was also a reminder of the deep personal connections that bind this fleet together. \n<\/p>\n


\nAllen spoke of friendships forged over decades \u2014 from Mornington Peninsula beginnings to trans-Pacific races \u2014 and the way rivalry fades once the dock lines are cast off. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cWe go back a long way,\u201d he said. \u201cOn Boxing Day at one o\u2019clock, we might not be such good mates, but apart from then, we are. That\u2019s what makes this race special.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nBeck echoed that sentiment, noting that his latest Hobart carries extra personal meaning as he sails alongside his 18-year-old son, Indy, who recovered from serious illness this year. \n<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s wanted to do this since he was about 10.\u201d \n<\/p>\n


\nAs the fleet prepares to leave Sydney Heads, there is no clear favourite \u2014 only a cluster of boats with overlapping strengths and vulnerabilities, all subject to the same shifting breeze and unpredictable seas. \n<\/p>\n


\nIn a race defined as much by resilience as speed, the friendly rivalry on display may soon give way to a far sterner test. \n<\/p>\n


\nAnd if the skippers agree on anything, it is this: in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, confidence is provisional, luck is fleeting, and the weather always gets the final say. \n<\/p>\n

\"Coast
<\/a>\"Sea
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