The record was missed by less than 3 hours, but the maxi 100 Comanche by John ‘Herman’ Winning Jr. fulfilled his role as favorite, going on to win the line honors of the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2022 with a time of 1 day 11 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds to cover the 628-mile course.
Sydney Hobart fast but not for everyone
The regatta as expected was very fast, thanks to the fresh wind bearing gaits from which especially the maxis at the head of the fleet and the fastest 50-60 feet group benefited. Behind them, the youngest sailors suffered a wind shift that forced them into a hard upwind second half of the race, effectively ruling them out of the fight for the handicap victory in the IRC overall awarding the overall Sydney Hobart title.
Sydney Hobart: Tp 52s on their way to overall victory
They are once again the Tp 52 the super favorites in this Sydney Hobart. In the strong wind at the leeward mark of this edition, the TPs were able to contain the gap from the maxis and distance themselves significantly from the smaller ones, so much so that they currently dominate the virtual IRC compensated time ranking.
The Tp 52 most credited for the final victory is currently Sam Haynes’ Celestial, which has already reached the finish line and currently leads the IRC standings solidly. For Haynes, it would be a rematch, as last year it was a lost protest that robbed him of the satisfaction of winning the coveted Tattersall Cup, which goes to the first boat in IRC overall. Confirmation of Celestial’s victory will have to wait a few more hours with the arrival of a handful of boats that could, albeit hardly, still challenge its leadership.
