Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2024: How Wendy Tuck found her ride, Comanche, LawConnect favourites
There’s no cat or celebrities but women will be ruling the waves, two Sydney to Hobart supermaxis will resume hostilities and an adventurous pair will race on a yacht they sourced on WhatsApp.
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Oli the moggy, the history making cat who raced south last year on Sylph, is staying ashore but women will be ruling the waves, two supermaxis will resume hostilities after an extraordinary finish last year and an adventurous pair will race on a yacht they sourced on WhatsApp in the 79th Sydney to Hobart.
The race has less line honours favourites but more colour, women skipper and owners and two-handed boats than ever before with around 100 crews expected to start thee 2004 Sydney to Hobart at 1pm on Boxing Day.
In the fleet are the two 100-footers which duelled for the 2023 victory - eventual winner LawConnect and Comanche under a new command - six internationals, 16 female skippers or owners and a record 22 double handlers.
In this later class are history-making Clipper round the world winning skipper Wendy Tuck and an old student in English co-skipper Meg Niblett - one of three all-female crews in the double handed space.
The pair met when Niblett, who works on boats professionally, moved to Australia to do her yachtmaster qualification and Tuck was her examiner.
“She was the best I had ever seen then and now,’’ Tuck said.
The original yacht the pair were to have raced to Hobart was unexpectedly unable to compete with a desperate Tuck putting out on SOS on a What’s App sailing group three weeks ago.
“I just asked if someone could lend me a boat and I just couldn't believe it when someone said yes,’’ Tuck said.
Thanks to the generosity of fellow two-handed sailor Robert Drury the pair are now Hobart bound on the 37-foot SunFast 3600 Gizmo.
“It feels solid, its comfortable in the breeze, it just feels like it is going to get to Hobart fast,’’ said Tuck, who has done 16 races previously.
Christian Beck and his self described “shitbox” LawConnect edged out Andoo Comanche a year ago but the four-time line honours winner is back in 2024 under well known ocean racer and multiple overall winner Matt Allen and world Etchells champion James Mayo and will be known as Master Lock Comanche.
LDV Comanche holds the race record of one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set in 2017 and Allen believes this could be lowered in the right conditions.
“Line honours is a different challenge, its all about making the boat more reliable and iron out any weakness,’’ he said.
“We are not worried about the rating, we just want to go faster.
‘Both yachts could do it (set a new race record). 2017 was an incredibly fast race but if we got those conditions again we could shave a few hours off.’’
Famous navigator Lindsay May is back for his 51st consecutive race on the three-time overall winner Love & War, being raced by a sentimental Phillip Kurts.
The yacht was originally owned and raced by his later grandfather Peter and then his father Simon who he has raced with in previous races.
But in 2024 he will campaign the old wooden beauty himself.
“I only learnt this morning we are the first third generational family to skipper the same yacht,’’ he said.
“My first (Sydney to Hobart) race just out of high school was about a new adventure. No, for me, it’s a coming of age doing it without Dad but thankfully supported by some very experienced people. We just appreciate the history of this race.’’
Kurt’s father will be the official starter of the 79th Sydney to Hobart.
The 628 nautical mile race is regarded as one of the most challenging short ocean races in the world.
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