Sydney to Hobart yacht race: 2021 early favourites, every yacht, skipper/owner, state, sail number

The form guide for the 2021 Sydney to Hobart yacht race is being written in a series of lead-up races. So who is in the fleet and who is the new-look early favourite for the famous Boxing Day race?

Former Australian Sailor of the Year Wendy Tuck and sailing mate Campbell Geeves have tasted success in a major lead-up to the debut of two-handed sailing in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Tuck - the first Australian - and woman - to win the Clipper round the world race - has raced off with the line and handicap honours in the two-handed racing in the Cabbage Tree Island race.

On the yacht Speedwell, the pair beat Jules Hall’s Disco Trooper in the race to the finish line and Carlos Aydos’ Crux in the IRC handicap division.

It took Tuck and Geeves one day and six hours to finish the 180 nautical mile race which was used as a major shakedown by more than 50 yachts for the Sydney to Hobart.

Wendy Tuck, the first woman to win a round the world race, will race to Hobart two-handed this year.

LAWCONNECT SUPERMAXI CLAIMS SYDNEY TO HOBART PRE-RACE FAVOURITISM

Christian Beck’s supermaxi LawConnect has previewed her new colours, name and plenty of speed to win the Cabbage Tree Island race and pre-race favouritism for the upcoming Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

The former Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Perpetual Loyal raced two years ago as InfoTrack but has now been renamed LawConnect for the upcoming race to Hobart.

Major modifications since the last race in 2019 have transformed the 100-footer into an all-rounder rather than the powerhouse she was in just one kind of conditions - tough.

LawConnect leaves Scallywag, far right, and the fleet in her wake in the Cabbage Tree Island race. Pic: Andrea Francolini

An extended bowsprit is key to much of her new success with the yacht now able to carry far greater sail area while reducing weight on the boat by removing surplus sails.

LAWCONNECT LEAVES FLEET IN HER WAKE IN CABBAGE TREE ISLAND

The Tony Mutter skippered LawConnect beat the David Witt skippered Scallywag by almost an hour for line honours in the 180 nautical mile Cabbage Tree Island race - the first event in the new Australian maxi championship.

The late arrival of new sails just prior to the start had the crew scrambling to repair the boat for the crucial lead-up race.

“It wasn’t the ideal preparation we wanted beforehand,” Mutter said. “We had to do a bit of scrambling to get some of the sails ready but everyone was geed up and it seemed to help once we got going.

LawConnect in action ahead of the 2021 Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Pic: Andrea Francolini

“We had up to five different sails to race pack beforehand which took a considerable amount of time. I’m really impressed with the crew, they did an awesome job.”

Wild Oats X, which is not doing the Sydney to Hobart, finished third, ahead of URM and MoneyPenny, Willow, Alive and Whisper.

Late Saturday, Gordon Ketelby’s Zen was leading the chase for the overall honours ahead of two-time Sydney to Hobart winner Matt Allen and his team on Ichi Ban.

SYDNEY TO HOBART 2021 FLEET, YACHTS, OWNERS, SAIL NUMBERS

ALIVE, 52566, Phillip Turner, Reichel Pugh 66, TAS

BLACK JACK, 525100, Mark Bradford, Reichel/Pugh 100, QLD

BLINK, B40, Mark Gorbatov/Mark Siebert, Beneteau First 40, NSW

BOWLINE, 10447, Ian Roberts, Beneteau First 44.7, SA

CARRERA S, AUS49005, Gerry Cantwell, Marten 49, VIC

CELESTIAL, 9535, Sam Haynes, Tp52 Jv, NSW

CHANCELLOR, 6834, Ted Tooher, Beneteau First 40, NSW

CHUTZPAH, R33, Bruce Taylor, Reichel/Pugh 40, VIC

CINQUANTE, 5038, Kimberley Jaggar, Sydney 38, NSW

CRUX, MYC8, Carlos Aydos, S&S 34, NSW.

CRYSTAL CUTTER III, 6661, Charles Parry-Okeden, Beneteau 40.7

DENALI, 52569, Damien Parkes, Tp52 Judel/Vrolijk, NSW

DISKO TROOPER_CONTENDER SAILCLOTH, AUS99, Jules Hall J/99, NSW

DODGEBALL, RQ4077, Ray Sweeney, Beneteau 40.7, QLD

ENCHANTRESS, SA346, Geoffrey Tomlins, Muirhead 11, SA

EORA, AUS-169, Rupert Henry, Lombard Class 40, NSW

EUPHORIA II, E2, Marc Stuart Richard Combrink, Beneteau First 42, QLD

EVE, 8565, Steve Capell / Benjamin Roulant, Swan 65, NSW

EXTASEA, G10007, Paul Buchholz, Cookson 50, VIC

FLAT WHITE, 1696, Jen Linkova/ Jason Cummings, Radford 12.2, NSW

FRUIT SALID 3, RQ334, Mark Drobitko, Beneteau First 40, QLD

GUN RUNNER, 3867, Murray Stewart, Jarkan 925, NSW

GWEILO, 052, Matthew, Chris Donald, Townsend, Tp52, NSW

HARTBREAKER, B330, Antony Walton, Reichel/Pugh 46, Vic

HELLS BELLS, B3200, Lincoln Dews, Sun Fast 3200, QLD

HIGHLY SPRUNG, AUS7771, Mark Spring, Beneteau First 45, NSW

HIP-NAUTIC, 7811, Jean-Pierre Ravanat, Jeanneau Sunfast 3300, TAS

HUNTRESS, 888, Victoria Logan, Sydney 39 Cr, QLD

ICHI BAN, AUS001, Matt Allen, Botin 52, NSW

INUKSHUK, SA982, Robert Large, Northshore 38, SA

JOKER ON TOURER, MY1250, Grant Chipperfield/Peter Dowdney, Elliott 1250 Tourer, VIC

KAYIMAI, MH46, Michael Bell, Azuree 46, NSW.

KHALEESI, 46, Sandy Farquharson/Rob Aldis, Dk46, NSW

KIALOA II, AUS7742, Patrick Broughton, S&S Yawl, NSW

KING BILLY, 4966, Philip Bennett, Custom/John King, NSW

LAW CONNECT, SYD1000, Christian Beck, Juan K 100 Custom, NSW

LIBERATOR, R2001, Andrew Roche, Jutson 39, VIC

LOCAL HERO, 1236, Mark Ayto, Bh36, NSW

LOVE & WAR, 294, Simon Kurts, S&S, NSW

MARITIMO, USA16, Bill Barry-Cotter, Schumacher 54, QLD

MAVERICK, SM3600, Rod Smallman/Leeton Hulley, Jeanneau Sunfast 3600, VIC

MAVERICK 49, GBR4945R, Steven Thomas, Infiniti 46r, NSW

MAYFAIR, M16, James Irvine, Rogers 46, QLD

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER, ST36, Ed Psaltis, Sydney 36, Tas

MILLE SABORDS, 7174, Paul Jenkins, Sydney 38, NSW

MIN RIVER, AUS888, Jiang Hui Lin, X 4.3, NSW

MINERVA, 6837, Edward Cox, Dk 43, NSW

MONEYPENNY, AUS1, Sean Langman, Reichel/Pugh, NSW

MRV, SYD5, Damien King, Frers 61, VIC

NAVY ONE, 0404, Nathan Lockhart, Beneteau First 40, NSW

NO LIMIT, AUS98888, David Gotze, Reichel/Pugh 63, VIC

OLD SCHOOL RACING, 8338, Mark Griffith, Dk 46, NSW

OROTON DRUMFIRE, CAY6536, Phillip Neil, Hoek Tc78, NSW

OSKANA, AUS5299, Michael Pritchard, Cookson 50, TAS

PATRICE SIX, 7779, Alexander Flecknoe-Brown, X-41, NSW

PATRIOT, SM133, Jason Close, J133, VIC

PHILOSOPHER, 20, David Henry, Sydney 36 Cr, NSW

POPEYE, 6612, Craig Douglas, Beneteau First 47.7, NSW

PRETTY WOMAN, 545, Richard Hudson, Farr 45, NSW

PROTAGONIST, H140, Nick Foa, Beneteau First 40, VIC

QUEST, 52002, Craig Neil, Tp52 Farr, NSW

RAGTIME, RQ130, Steve Watson, J130, NSW

ROGUE WAVE, 6921, Kevin Le Poidevin, Sigma 36, NSW

RUM REBELLION, 1808, Shane Connelly, J99, NSW

SALT SHAKER, 5826, Peter Franki Drew Jones, Sydney 36 C, NSW

SECRET MENS BUSINESS, 8300, David De Coster, Murray-Burns-Dovell 42, NSW

SHK SCALLYWAG 100, HKG2276, David Witt, Dovell 100, Ove

SMUGGLER, 6952, Sebastian Bohm, Tp52 Jv, NSW

SOLVEIG, CYC54, John Whitfeld, Halvorsen 36, NSW

SPEEDWELL, B347, Campbell, Beneteau 34.7, NSW

STEFAN RACING, AUS80, Grant Wharington, Botin 80, QLD

SUPERNOVA, 6499, Felicity Nelson/Alex Seja, Sydney 36, NSW

TBA, 1998, Richard Grimes, Sydney38, NSW

TOY BOX 2, MH4, Ian Box, Xp 44, NSW

TRIGGA, 580, Adrian Dunphy, Ben Lexcen 34, NSW

TROUBLE & STRIFE, 8009, Duane Smith Matt Williams, Cookson 12, QLD

TSA MANAGEMENT, MH60, Tony Levett, Sydney 38, NSW

URM GROUP, AUS72, Nick Davis, Reichel/Pugh 72 Maxi, WA

VAMP, 43218, David Stephenson, Corby 49, NSW

WHISPER, AUS-13, David Griffith, Judel-Vrolijk 62, NSW

WHITE BAY 6 AZZURRO, 3430, Shane Kearns, S&S 34, NSW

WHITE NOISE, SM1245, Daniel Edwards, M. A. T 1245, Vic

WILD OATS, 4343, Brett Eagle, Farr 43, NSW

SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE 2021 EARLY FAVOURITES

November 7: It was the first major shakedown for the 2021 Sydney to Hobart but there were few surprises in the Flinders Island race with known performers claiming early bragging rights to favouritism in the bluewater classic.

David Griffith and his Whisper crew took the double of line and overall honours in the annual race traditionally used by skipper to test their crews and boats before the Boxing Day start of the Sydney to Hobart.

Sydney yacht Whisper in a lead-up race to the Sydney to Hobart.

The Sydney skipper, who also won the Flinders Island race in 2019, was considered a major contender for the overall honours with his 52-footer in last year’s Sydney to Hobart before an outbreak of coronavirus on Sydney’s northern beaches forced the cancellation of the ocean race for the first time in history.

Nipping at Griffith and his teams heels in the weekend race - and chase for the converted handicap win in the Sydney to Hobart - is Matt Allen and his crew on Ichi Ban.

Ichi Ban, a 52-footer, is one of nine former line or overall winners in this year’s Sydney to Hobart fleet with Allen a former Australian ocean racer of the Year.

Allen and his team finished second over the line and second on corrected time with Dave Doherty’s Matador third on handicap

Matt Allen os the skipper and owner of the Sydney to Hobart winner Ichi Ban.

Creating history in the 90 nautical miler were Jules Hall and Jan Scholten who took the overall honours in the first ever two-handed division in the Flinders Island race with a two minute win after 17 hours of racing.

Racing Disko Trooper, the yacht finished ahead of Peter Franki and Drew Jones on Salt Shaker in the race for the line honours and Rum Rebellion’s Shane Connelly and Graeme Dunlop in the chase for the overall win.

These crews will create more history when they compete in the first ever two-handed class in a Sydney to Hobart on December 26.

The next event for sailors to test their boats and crew work will be the Bird Island Race on Saturday.

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MAKING WAVES: Crazy sailors heading south

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Originally published as Sydney to Hobart yacht race: 2021 early favourites, every yacht, skipper/owner, state, sail number