Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect takes lead from Scallywag after flurry of late withdrawals
LawConnect has capitalised on a sail issue for supermaxi rival SHK Scallywag to take over the lead early in the Sydney to Hobart race.
Hong Kong boat Scallywag, skippered by David Witt, was first out of Sydney Heads following the 1pm start on Sydney Harbour, followed by big rivals Black Jack and LawConnect in conditions of close to 15 knots.
However her time in front was brief as she had problems with her headsail after rounding the sea mark a few minutes later and put up a storm jib.
Sydney-based LawConnect, under skipper Christian Beck, seized on her rival’s misfortune to surge to the lead and put some distance between herself and the other two supermaxis by the end of the first hour.
Scallywag’s social media team reported that their yacht suffered a technical issue with its J2 foresail tack fitting.
“The team managed to successfully get the sail down safely and get the orange sail jib up in their air while they work to repair the problem,” they wrote.
It was a spinnaker start for the fleet, who were spread across four start lines and watched by a significantly smaller spectator fleet than usual.
After the supermaxis, the next boat out of the heads was Grant Wharington’s 80-footer Stefan Racing.
Race officials reported all boats made a clean start with none crossing the line prematurely.
The fleet was reduced to 88 just before the race when the 49-foot Vamp withdrew because a crew member had close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
Vamp was among five boats to withdraw in the 24 hours before the start.
Jiang Hui Lin, owner of the twohanded-division boat Min River, pulled her boat out after injuring a hand.
Protagonist also withdrew on Sunday morning after reporting a positive Covid-19 test. Two boats pulled out on Christmas Day.
The Volvo Open 70 boat Willow was withdrawn after three members of the crew returned a positive Covid test.
Quentin Stewart, the owner of the 46-foot Maverick 49, which is affiliated to the Guernsey Yacht Club, didn’t report any positive Covid tests but opted not to take any risks during the current virus outbreak and withdrew.
Skippers have been told boats must immediately retire from the race if a crew member gets a message saying they have tested positive for Covid.
Some crew were still waiting for their Covid test results in the last few hours before the start, after all were required to get a PCR test within 72 hours of setting out.
“With the co-operation of the Tasmanian government, we’ve been able to get these boats away and we are very appreciative of that,” said the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore, Noel Cornish.
“So people can go as long as they’ve had their test. They can get sailing and get their result on the way down. We need to manage if a boat gets a positive test on board.
“The idea is they would retire and we would then let the normal processes occur for somebody who arrives in Tasmania with a positive test, or if they are in New South Wales waters they can come back into Eden or head back to Sydney.
Once they arrive in Hobart crew members won’t be able to leave their boat until having a rapid antigen test and the owner completes a declaration that everyone aboard has returned a negative result.
Hearing the starting gun will be the sweetest sound for race officials and at least one prominent yachtsman, who was left devastated, shattered and hollow by the cancellation of the 2020 edition.
Maritimo skipper Michael Spies, who will compete in the race for a 44th time, said he had spent last Christmas moping at home after the race was cancelled for the first time in its history, which stretches back to 1945.
“When one o’clock eastern came around, I was home in Queensland and I don’t mind admitting it was quite devastating, probably even worse, shattering,” Spies said.
“It’s something that’s been a massive part of your life and to lose it through no fault of your own, or just external forces.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s given their all participating in the race. It was a very, very, very hollow feeling.
“The sound I want to hear is the start gun go, then we’ll believe it.”
Noel Cornish, the commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, will also be happy and relieved once the fleet heads for Hobart.
“People have often asked me over the last month or so, ‘What are you looking forward to most of all?” Cornish said.
“In a normal year I would have definitely said the competitiveness of the fleet, watching those people go through the weather transitions, how the navigators are outsmarting each other and then watching the boats come up the Derwent.
“But for me this time it’s hearing that gun go at one o’clock and watching boats head to Hobart.”