Sydney to Hobart late night survival test to decide line honours winner

The Sydney to Hobart has been turned into a survival of the fittest as the fleet frontrunners race towards the finish line on the Derwent River.

Comanche takes the lead over Info Track as the field makes its way down the coast following the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race in Sydney, Thursday, December 26, 2019. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

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The race record was blown away by light winds on the first night but a big blow on the second will determine the winner of this year’s Sydney to Hobart.

The Australian classic was becoming a survival test for the five supermaxis chasing the line honours trophy on Friday night as they flew down the Tasmanian coast towards the finish line on the Derwent River in Hobart.

The Hong Kong yacht Scallywag is being crewed by a predominantly Australian team with the yacht based in Sydney’s inner west in the leadup to the race. Pic: Glenn Nicholls/AFP).

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Winds up to 40 knots were forecast to propel the 100-footers on a hair-raising and potentially hazardous downwind ride under the cover of darkness.

“They will be flying down the coast of Tasmania,’’ said meteorologist Roger Badham.

This high speed, high risk sailing is what sailors dream of but it comes with hazards - including the potential for ploughing into a submerged object at high speed and suffering potentially race ending sail damage.

“A Sydney to Hobart is always a balance of pushing hard and knowing when to back off,’’ Scallywag skipper David Witt said prior the race start on Thursday.

Grant Wharington, who is sharing the steering duties with Witt, knows better than anyone the risk of super-fast sailing.

Wharington hit two sunfish when skipper of the maxi Skandia back in the 2004 and 2005 races and suffered major damage on both occasions.

Neutral Bay businessman Jim Cooney and his Comanche crew - which includes wife Samantha, daughter Julia and son James - were expected to revel in the strong running conditions forecast overnight.

Competition between the supermaxis has been tight right from the start.

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So to was Lane Cove’s Christian Beck and his team on the heavyweigh InfoTrack.

But then their rivals - the lightweight Scallywag, Wild Oats and Black Jack - were tipped to shine as the wind dropped and lightened on the final approach to Hobart.

“It could be the best finish we have seen in this race,’’ Witt said.