Andoo Comanche Wins Line Honours in Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

LawConnect, Willow Urm Group, Stefan, Andoo Comanche, and Black Jack are seen during the start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2022 in Sydney Harbour, Dec. 26, 2022. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

Andoo Comanche has defended its title and claimed Line Honours on the water in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Dec. 28.

The annual 628-nautical mile race event starts in Sydney, New South Wales, where the fleets sail down the south-east coast of Australia and finish in Hobart, Tasmania. It is considered one of the toughest and respected Category 1 ocean races in the world.

The 100-foot supermaxi, skippered by John “Herman” Winning Jr. claimed Line Honours for the fourth time in the Sydney to Hobart race, after a brief hiatus in 2020. A supermaxi is refers to a large sailing yacht that is typically used for racing, with a waterline length greater than 90 feet (27.4 metres).

Winning Jr. who is a Sydney businessman is also a well known 18-footer skiff sailor like his father John “Woody” Winning and won a world 29er skiff title as a teenager. At 70-years-old, Winning is a senior member of the fleet and could be the oldest supermaxi rookie in the sailing world.

Andoo Comanche crossed the finish line on Hobart’s Derwent River at 12.56 a.m. on Dec. 28, local time, with a race time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes, and 48 seconds, the official Sydney Hobart race website reported.

After taking penalty turns only 20 minutes into the race and sailing the challenging course in darkness down the River Derwent, Andoo Comanche crossed the finish line first, followed by fellow supermaxi LawConnect who finished around 27 minutes later.

Andoo Comanche took their penalty turn after another boat protested against them, but did not identify the protestor, and said the incident would be resolved once in Hobart, reported The Guardian.

Third place was 2021’s Line Honours Black Jack, followed by nine-time winner Hamilton Island Wild Oats in fourth place.

Protest flags were flown by a number of yachts at the beginning of the race including Andoo Comanche, but are not required to follow through with the protests.

Andoo Comanche’s race time is just outside the race record for the 628 nautical mile race, sailing through fast downwind conditions that prevailed for the entire journey.

“It’s pretty emotional, these are the types of things that you look back on and say you’re glad you got those opportunities,” Winning Jr. said.

Andoo Comanche’s boat, a Verdier/VPLP design, was built back in 2014 by American builder Hodgson, and is the first yacht to take out four Line Honours under three different owners. She first won Line Honours as Comanche in 2015 for Jim and Kristy Clark, and then also won Line Honours for Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant in 2017 and 2019.

Following strong winds and other incidents, seven boats had retired from the race, with Huntress, Navy One, Sail Exchange, and Mondo all suffering damages.

Yacht Taken Out by Sunfish

Louis Ryckmans skippered the 40-foot vessel Yeah Baby off to a good start, until she collided with one specimen less than four hours into the race on Dec. 26.

“I’ve heard all the stories in this club about people who have had impacts with sunfish and I’ve always thought it was one of the dock stories,” Ryckmans told AAP.

“I happened to be in the back of the boat and turned around and there was a spluttering sunfish in the water that was probably worse for wear.

“On the high list of worries that one has, marine life did not occur to me once.”

The impact of the collision pushed the back end of the rudder into the hull, which forced Yeah Baby out of the race.

Within the first 24 hours into the race, Yeah Baby and Avalanche were the only two boats to have retired from the fleet of 109.

First Female to Compete Rolex Sydney Hobart 30 Times

Amongst the fleet of 109, including eight international entrants and 20 two-handed boats, was Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan.

Cahalan is the first female to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 30 times, and was aboard the British boat Sunrise for this year.

With six Line Honours and two overall victories under her belt, she is the most successful female navigator in the Sydney to Hobart race’s history.

Sunrise is only 38 feet long, making it the smallest Sydney to Hobart boat Cahalan has sailed on. Being part of Sunrise with British and New Zealand crew members, Cahalan offers local knowledge to the team.

“I’m the local knowledge person, they’ve got a regular navigator, so I’ve got a little different role this year. I’ll be on the deck as well as back-up navigator,” Cahalan said.

“This race is well suited to having two navigators because it’s very intense and you really don’t have time to go to sleep.

“I’m very proud of my record in this race and for me I just can’t imagine being on the shore watching the fleet leave without me,” she said.

When Cahalan debuted her first Sydney to Hobart race in 1984, she recalled being one of only around five female participants; this year Cahalan was one of 120 females sailing.

“Now it is really becoming more and more hopefully merit-based and people don’t need to ask the question anymore,” she added.

AAP contributed to this report.