Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2022: Favourites emerge with record, historic win in Cabbage Tree

A crew has thrown down the gauntlet to Sydney to Hobart rivals with an extraordinary win. Another has made waves with their victory. Latest news, results ahead of the race to Hobart.

Action during the Cabbage Tree Island race, a lead-up to the Sydney to Hobart.

For the first time in history a two-handed boat can claim the most prestigious overall honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race starting on Boxing Day and less than a month out, one has just snared a big win.

But not only did the two-handed Mistral crew win the Cabbage Tree Island race overall, they lead home a sweep of the podium for the new class which debuted in the 2021 Sydney to Hobart - with another three also in the top 10 overall.

While well received by some, the ability of two-handed boats to vie for the prestigious overall; honours in the famous Sydney to Hobart this year was cause for consternation for some sailors.

But, after being denied the opportunity to win this honour last year, last year, race officials cleared the way for the two-handed fleet to be eligible this year.

Mistral’s co-skippers Rupert Henry and Greg O’Shea won the Cabbage Tree Island lead-up race by finishing the 172 nautical mile race in 22 hours, 27 minutes and 51 seconds.

Yachts competing in the weekend’s Cabbage Tree Island.

She finished ahead of Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth (Jules Hall/Jan Scholten) and Transcendence Crento (Martin Cross/John Cross).

Six of the top 10 boats on IRC were two-handed - Mistral, Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth, Transcendence Crento, Rum Rebellion (Shane Connelly/Tony Sutton), Sun Fast Racing (Lee Condell/Lincoln Dews), and Jupiter (Ian Smith/Ian Thomson).

“It’s good to see the double-handers doing so well,” Henry said. “The race suited us. In some of the other races, the double-handers have been up there and the weather hasn’t worked out for them.

“There wasn’t a lot of strategy in the race; it was pretty much straight lining.

“The biggest decision was forcing yourself to stay on the rhumb line, not hunting for opportunities off it.

Rupert Henry and Greg O'Shea after their win in the Cabbage Tree Island race. Pic: Andrea Francolini.

DECEMBER 3: She is known as a big wind performer who loves nothing better than tackling the toughest, most challenging conditions at sea.

But in a performance that will have rivals worried, Andoo Comanche has set a new record in a major race in a good mix of light winds and biggish breeze and against all her major rivals in the upcoming Sydney to Hobart.

The former US yacht now in the hands of Sydney businessman John Winning Jnr, smashed the race record in the annual Cabbage Tree Island overnight race held by one of her Sydney to Hobart rivals.

In an extraordinary performance, Winning and his team ripped three hours off the record set by Christian Beck and his team on LawConnect last year with their time of 12 hours, 19 minutes and 8 seconds in the 179 nautical mile race which is less than a third the length of the Sydney to Hobart.

Andoo Comanche on her way to victory. Pic: Andrea Francolini

It was third line honours win for the team which has now been installed as a firm favourite in the Sydney to Hobart after success in the Sydney to Gold Coast race and the Tollgate Islands Race.

Andoo Comanche chased down Sydney to Hobart line honours defending champion Black Jack after the fleet set sail in a moderate sou’easterly.

The start of the Cabbage Tree Island race. Pic: Andrea Francolini

She overtook and then extended her lead in strong winds overnight but returned back to Sydney in a, might westerly.

Fellow 100-footer LawConnect was second over the line, around 50 minutes behind, with Black Jack third and Wild Oats fourth.

“We’d rather be underdogs, but I guess we are the favourites,’’ Winning said after the emphatic victory.

“We’ll take what we get. Hopefully we deserve to be the favourites.’’

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