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Australian super maxi LawConnect took the lead in a spectacular start to the annual Sydney to Hobart race on Sunday as a fleet of 88 Covid-exhausted yachts embarked on one of the world’s toughest ocean events .
Facing strong southerly winds, LawConnect took the lead in the 30m (100ft) super maxi SHK Scallywag from rival Hong Kong, which encountered a major technical issue with a jib sail rigging after leading the fleet. out of Sydney Harbor.
Some four hours after the start of the race, LawConnect was in first position ahead of another super maxi, Black Jack.
Although Kayo Sports will not be broadcasting this year from Sydney to Hobart, it does offer sailing as one of over 50 sports on offer, including the exciting SailGP, which is broadcast live on Kayo and with reruns.
SHK Scallywag, who had to hoist a less powerful storm storm as the crew attempted to make repairs with waves crashing into them, was in third place.
Spectator boats had crammed into a cloudy and windy Sydney harbor to enjoy the return of the blue waters classic, which was forced by Covid into outright cancellation last year for the first time since it debuted in 1945.
The pandemic has cast a shadow again, with some of the fastest yachts sidelined this year, including the previous online honors winner, the super maxi Comanche and the nine-time online honors winner Wild Oats XI.
ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything You Need to Know About Sydney to Hobart
Four yachts have pulled out in the past two days over Covid concerns, including one that was announced less than 10 minutes before the traditional Boxing Day start gun.
Another yacht abandoned due to crew injury.
Among those who were chased away by the virus was Willow, one of the top honors online favorites, several of whose crew members tested positive.
This leaves 88 competitors, including 17 two-handed sailboats, who are allowed to participate for the first time.
This was a big reduction from the 157 boats that left in 2019.
Weather is a critical factor in the 628 nautical mile (1,200 km) race along Australia’s east coast to the Tasmanian capital.
Six men died, five boats sank, and 55 sailors were rescued in the 1998 spectacle when a deep low erupted above the fleet in Bass Strait.
“For all boats, the challenge after the start and exit of the heads (from Sydney) will be not only to adjust to their race pace and their monitoring systems, but also to keep their boats intact in difficult conditions. “said the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. .
The latest weather update forecast southerly to southeasterly winds on Sunday with a strong wind warning off the coast of New South Wales.
Runners face strict sanitary conditions, including mandatory PCR coronavirus testing.
Race committee chairman Lee Goddard said Tasmanian police would allow runners to leave even if they were still awaiting their test results.
But if a crew member is told of a positive result on the water, his yacht will have to give up “immediately,” he told sailors on Sunday.
Depending on the weather, the fastest Super Maxis are expected to arrive in Hobart on Tuesday.
Although the first yacht to cross the finish line attracts the most public attention, the main prize for sailors is considered the handicap honors, which takes into account the size of the yachts.
In the last race, in 2019, Ichi Ban won the general classification with a handicap. Ichi Ban owner and skipper Matt Allen is racing his 31st Sydney-Hobart race after starting at the age of 17.
“It was a great adventure to do my first race and it’s also a great adventure to line up in front of number 31,†he said before race day.
“This excitement on Boxing Day doesn’t change at all. That little nervousness before you set off, that feeling of relief once you get out and actually start to navigate the boat.
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