Sydney to Hobart favourite Master Lock Comanche retires, yachts dismasted, damaged in wild winds
In one of the most destructive – and expensive – nights in Sydney to Hobart history, wild winds and rugged seas have blown the race apart and sent multiple favourites into retirement
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In one of the most destructive – and expensive – nights in Sydney to Hobart history, wild winds and torrid conditions have ripped the famous race apart, causing widespread damage and ending the race hopes of numerous favourites.
Multiple yachts were dismasted and the race favourite for line honours Master Lock Comanche was sent to the sidelines with damage to her giant mainsail in the early hours.
Chris Nicholson, the sailing master aboard her major rival LawConnect, had predicted earlier in the day that one of the 100 footers would suffer race ending damage and he was right.
James Mayo, one of the co-skippers of Comanche, had said just hours earlier he and the crew were bracing for “heinous” conditions during the first night.
Master Lock Comanche was chasing her fifth line honours win in the Sydney to Hobart in her eighth race south.
She was also on track to set a new race record when the disaster happened in the early hours of Friday.
She was the fifth yacht to retire since the 1pm start on Sydney Harbour on Thursday.
Earlier, two race favourites for the overall in Alive and URM were also sent out of the race.
Alive won the overall race last year with URM, which was dismasted, finishing second.
“I was downstairs, we were about to get the A4 (an asymmetric spinnaker) off, then there was a big bang and a big collapse,’’ said URM navigator Alice Parker.
“The mast broke one and a half metres above the deck, right above the instruments.
“The boys did a really good job of cutting the rig away and we are heading to Eden.
“We’re all pretty gutted. The boat was really lit up. We were doing really well. We were averaging 20 knots in 25 knots of breeze.”
At 2am seven yachts had retired from the initial fleet of 104 with more expected to follow during the day,
After Comanche informed the race committee of its damage, news came in that Wild Rose, another former winner of the Sydney to Hobart, was also out of the race with rigging damage.
Calibre then followed her to the sidleines, retiring with mainsail damage.
The list of reasons for retirement were
Alive - Retired - engine issues, Ciao Bella - Retired - steering issues, Master Lock Comanche - Retired - mainsail damage, Philosopher - Retired - dismasted, Transcendence Rudy Project (DH) - Retired - dismasted, URM Group - Retired - dismasted, Wild Oats - Retired - rigging damage. Calibre - Retired - mainsail damage.
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Originally published as Sydney to Hobart favourite Master Lock Comanche retires, yachts dismasted, damaged in wild winds
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