The China Mail - Lawconnect's Sydney-Hobart hat-trick bid faces tough challenge

Beck steered LawConnect to back-to-back line honours last year after main rival Comanche dropped out with a damaged mainsail on a torrid first night.

It was the culmination of a wild 628-nautical-mile race that was shaken by the deaths of two sailors in separate incidents -- the first fatalities since 1998 -- as boats were pummelled by gale-force winds and big waves.

Only three of the ultra-fast 100-foot supermaxis competed in 2024, but this time there will be five with Palm Beach XI (formerly Wild Oats XI), Comanche, Wild Thing 100 and Scallywag all confirmed.

"Comanche is better than us in every way," said Beck at the official race launch on Wednesday.

"What we've hoped for the last couple of years are conditions that are good for neither of us, which means we're slower but more competitive with Comanche.

"The trouble with when it's slower (less wind), is that it's good for Palm Beach XI. It's a very challenging situation."

Weather is a critical factor in the often-treacherous race, which was first held in 1945, with winds often shifting rapidly in direction and intensity.

In 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait, six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued

Last year, 30 of the 104 yachts failed to finish.

For the 80th anniversary edition, 133 yachts are due to depart Sydney on December 26 including Celestial V70, which last year won the overall trophy that takes into account boat size and other factors.

It is the second largest fleet this century after the 157 that raced the 75th edition.

The oldest will be Maritimo Katwinchar, a 32-footer built in 1904 from Canadian red cedar and skippered by Michael Spies in his 47th Sydney-Hobart.

There are 17 international entrants, including from Germany, Hong Kong, the United States and Poland.

There are 13 women owners and skippers, but only one has an all-female crew -- First Light, captained by Elizabeth Tucker as part of her preparation for the 2027-28 Global Solo Challenge, a single-handed, non-stop round-the-world race.

Tucker, who bought the boat in Europe and spent 74 days at sea sailing it to Australia with the former owner, is listed as skipper but considers all five crew to be sharing the role.

"My goal is to create more of a pathway for women in sailing to learn every aspect of the boat, to step out of the normal, limited crew role that we were often given," she told reporters.

The fleet will set off from Sydney Harbour and head down Australia's east coast before tackling the notorious Bass Strait towards the Tasmanian state capital Hobart.

B.Chan--ThChM