Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2022 finish order, retirement list, line and overall winners, drama, rescues
Fast times, close calls, collisions, crew injury and rescues – the 2022 Sydney to Hobart was anything but the “easy” ride some had tipped. Results, finish order and race wrap.
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It began with a crazy start full of close calls, blue language and collisions in picture perfect conditions on Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Boxing Day.
It ended with a new line honours winner, the race record still intact, stories of 40 plus knot winds for many, boat breakage and “horrible” conditions for others.
The 77th edition was anything but the “easy” race tipped by some before the start despite warnings of boat and body breaking conditions by sailing veterans and top forecasters.
The latter were right with only a lucky few ones at the front of the fleet enjoying a fast but predominantly drama-free race south.
Others arrived with seriously injured crew, shredded sails, broken gear and sea sick sailors – and a mighty big repair bill.
Nine yachts nine didn’t make it across the finish line at all with the majority of the retirees forced to the sidelines with broken rudders, many requiring police assistance – and in one case a rescue.
We take a look at the winners, loser, dramas and controversy in the famous ocean race.
THE STAR
The 100-footer Andoo Comanche claimed line honours in the 2022 Sydney To Hobart but missed the record.
Skippered by John Winning Junior ands a crew of 23, the super maxi made it to Hobart in just over one day 11 hours.
Other than a penalty turn at the start to exonerate her from any potential infractions, the crew reported she had a relatively uneventful race south.
THE PODIUM
Christian Beck’s LawConnect finished second to Andoo Comanche, incredibly less under half an hour behind after 628 nautical miles of intense racing and high-speed surfing.
Last year’s line honours winner Black Jack finished third.
RACE STATS
A fleet of 109 started the race.
In all, nine yachts retired from the race with damage.
The last yacht in the race was due to finish before New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The biggest yachts were the 100-foot supermaxis, The oldest and smallest was the 30-foot timber boat Maluka built in 1932.
FORMER CHAMPION
Wild Oats X1 was hunting for its 10th line honours win in the 2022 race but fell just short of the podium in the race many had believed had delivered her “a dream forecast”
She followed Andoo Comanche, LawConnect and Black Jack over the finish line.
Wild Oats had sail damage but it was a patch of light wind that proved costly.
“It (sail damage) cost us a bit of time but didn’t cost us the race,’’ said Mark Richards.
“The guys did a fantastic job, the boat went well, we just had a few things working against us.
“Yesterday morning we ran out of wind for about an hour which really hurt us. We just couldn’t get back from there.”
THE TAILENDER
The little 30-footer Currawong received an extraordinary welcome to Hobart when she arrived at the finish line at 11:42pm on New Year’s Eve.
She was the last boat home and the second smallest in the race at 30 foot.
OVERALL WINNER
The Sydney yacht Celestial, skippered by Sam Haynes, claimed the overall honours.
A year earlier Celestial was handed a time penalty after an international jury ruled it had breached a rules that stipulated competitors must keep a continuous watch for radio contact and finished second.
This year there was no drama for the crew who were awarded the Tattersall Cup for their efforts
SUNFISH DRAMA
There was plenty of drama about Sean Langman’s Moneypenny in the race.
They hit a sunfish the first afternoon of the race and then a hatch blew off with tones of water pouring in.
Langman injured his hand while trying to repair the damage before a crewmate suffered a shocking injury.
INJURED SAILOR
There was no pub meet up for David Blanchfield and the Moneypenny crew immediately after the race.
Blanchfield was picked up by an ambulance after being washed from the bow to the mast of the boat by a huge wave.
Skipper Sean Langman told how he had to push tendon and muscle back inside a giant laceration on his leg which required surgery and 80 stitches
TWO HANDED WIN
Mistral sailors Rupert Henry and O’Shea finished 29th over the live but first in the two-handed division.
Mistral beat Sun Fast Racing (Lee Condell and Lincoln Dews) by more than three hours on corrected time.
Peter Elkington and Scott Cavanough on Pacman were third.
CRAZY START
It was the most hectic, crazy and thrilling start to the race witnessed in recent times.
There were a number of touches and one collision which put your out and others that saw Sailor’s Lodge protest at the end of the race seeking redress.
In extraordinary scenes. Wild Oats and Andoo Comanche both did penalty turns to exonerate themselves from any potential infringements.
WILD WINDS
The fleet enjoyed a fast exit from Sydney, racing in downwind conditions the first afternoon and night at sea.
Later these winds escalated with yacht reporting 44 to 48 knots at sea.
The smaller boats then endured tough upwind conditions which made the going tough.
DAMAGE TOLL
Tasmanian skipper Victoria Logan and her crew on Huntress lost their rudder and then abandoned ship when rescue arrived.
The crew waited nine hours for the rescue mid race.
“With conditions deteriorating, it was advised a tow would be too dangerous and at 1700 hours we were safely transferred to a Tas Police vessel near Cape Wickam and taken to Lady Barron,” Logan said.
“It was an extremely difficult and heart-wrenching decision to leave Huntress floundering 80 nautical miles offshore.
“We can confirm a salvage operation is already being planned for her safe transfer to mainland Tasmania.”
STARS OF THE FLEET
Previous overall winners in the race were Alive 2018, Wild Oats 2005 and 2012, Quest 2008 when owned by Bob Steel, and in 2015 when owned by Paul Clitheroe and Wild Oats (Farr 43) in 1993.
Previous line honours winners were Kialoa II 1971, Wild Oats in 2005-2008, 2010, 2012-2014, and 2018, Black Jack in 2021 and as Alfa Romeo in 2009 when owned by Neville Crichton and Andoo Comanche in 2015 when owned by Jim and Kristy Clark and 2017 as LDV Comanche when owned by Jim Cooney, LawConnect in 2016 as Perpetual LOYAL when owned by Anthony Bell.
RECORD BREAKERS
Tony Ellis competed in his 54th race on No Limit, breaking his own record of 53 set in 2021.
Adrienne Cahalan did her 30th race – the most by any woman – on Sunrise.
DINING OUT
Z7 navigator Stuart Milne have an insight into the better side of ocean racing.
“We had green chicken curry on the first night, followed by bacon, egg and mushroom muffins the next morning, frittatas for lunch, spaghetti bolognaise for dinner,’’ he reported.
“Next morning it was scrambled egg, bacon and sausage breakfast.
“Last night we resorted to freeze dried curry and had cereal for brekkie. We’ve eaten well.’’
PARADE OF SAIL AS MAJORITY OF FLEET ARRIVE
Dec 30: Two-handed boats, a history-making Hungarian crew, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters and the oldest boat in the fleet were part of a spectacular parade of sail into Hobart in the 77th edition of the race on Friday.
All yachts except the two-handed Currawong were in Hobart with Kathy Veel and Bridget Carwon racing against the clock to arrive in time for a shower before the New Year’s Eve celebrations kick off.
More than 40 yachts crossed the finish on a busy Derwent River, many more than two days behind line honours winner Andoo Comanche.
Sam Haynes and his crew on Celestial were officially awarded their trophy for claiming the overall honours while brothers Balint and Agoston Sipos made history as part of the first all-Hungarian crew to complete the Sydney to Hobart.
Racing aboard the 68-footer Cassiopeia 68, it took the crew just over three days to complete the race.
“We knew Hobart is the sailing capital in the southern hemisphere,” Agoston said. “We knew sailing is a big thing here but arriving is an experience that is second to none.
“We got the cheers like we were the champions. We finished 29th which is a good result for us but we got a cheer for a champion.”
Father and daughter Kevin and Alexis Whelan also sailed in to a warm welcome on the yacht Reve which finished 93rd from the starting fleet of 109.
One of the most capped female sailors, Vanessa Dudley, was competing in her 24th race and came home on King Billy.
Twins and co-skippers Tom and Jess Grimes sailed in on the 38-footer Hasta La Vista in 52nd place
Back in 97th place was the oldest yacht in the fleet, the 30-footer Maluka, skippered by Peter Langman. Maluka is timber and was built back in 1932,
LIST OF RETIREMENTS IN THE 2022 SYDNEY TO HOBART
Avalanche (TH) – Retired – broken bowsprit
Eye Candy – Retired – forestay damage
Huntress – Retired – loss of rudder
Koa – Retired – loss of rudder
Mondo – Retired – broken gooseneck
Navy One – Retired – broken boom
Sail Exchange – Retired – loss of rudder
White Noise – Retired – gear failure
Yeah Baby – Retired – rudder damage
#Enterprise Next Generation – redress of 2 hours granted by the International Jury to Enterprise Next Generation for standing by Koa when that boat lost her rudder. ★
LINE HONOURS FINISHING ORDER AND RACE TIME IN 2022 SYDNEY TO HOBART
1 Andoo Comanche, John Winning Jr NSW. 1:11:56:4
2 LawConnect, Christian Beck NSW, 1:12:23:1917.3
3 Black Jack Peter Harburg QLD, 1:12:40:3417.1
4 Hamilton Island Wild Oats, The Oatley Family NSW, 1:13:38:1316.7
5 Willow Jim Cooney NSW, 1:18:39:5214.7.
6 Stefan Racing Grant Wharington QLD, 1:18:41:0214.7
7 Alive Philip Turner TAS, 1:18:52:5214.6
8 URM Group. Anthony Johnston NSW 1:19:06:4814.6
9 Moneypenny, Sean Langman NSW, 1:19:13:4314.5
10 No Limit, David Gotze NSW, 1:21:30:26
11 Caro Max Klink New Zealand, 1:21:49:00
12 Warrior Won Chris Sheehan USA, 1:22:14:49
13 Gweilo Matt Donald & Chris Townsend 1:22:22:52
14 Celestial Sam Haynes NSW 1:22:28:05
15 Whisper David Griffith NSW 1:22:32:46
16 Patrice Tony Kirby 1:23:31:0713.2
17 Quest Craig Neil 2:00:12:18
18 Smuggler Sebastian Bohm 2:01:10:18
19 Zen Gordon Ketelbey NSW 2:01:46:56
20 Crush, David Davenporc WA 2:03:05:4812.3
OVERALL HANDICAP WINNERS
1 Celestial Sam Haynes NSW
2 Gweilo Matt Donald & Chris Townsend NSW
3 Caro Max Klink New Zealand
4 Warrior Won Chris Sheehan USA
5 Quest Craig Neil NSW
TWO HANDED IRC
1 Mistral (TH) Rupert Henry NSW
2 Sun Fast Racing (TH)
3 Pacman (TH) Peter Elkington QLD
4 Crux (TH) Carlos Aydos NSW
5 KD4 (TH) Joe de Kock NSW
SYDNEY 38 DIVISION
1 Cinquante Kim Jaggar NSW
2 Hasta la Vista The Grimes Family NSW
3 Poulpito David Treguier New Caledonia
PHS RESULTS
1 Cyan Moon Wayne Arnold Seaward VIC
2 Mako Paul O’Rourke NSW
3 Allegro Adrian Lewis NSW
4 Wild Oats Brett Eagle NSW
5 Esprit Roderick West QLD
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