Crazy Rolex Sydney Hobart: LawConnect mocks Comanche at the finish line

Unique, crazy and unpredictable Rolex Sydney Hobart. Can a 628-mile race be decided, in real time, by a handful of seconds with the photo finish of two 100-foot maxis? Yes, if we are talking about the southern super classic that saw Christian Beck’s 100-footer LawConnect, with veteran Chris Nicholson aboard, triumph. Instead, in the coming days we will know the winner of the IRC overall handicap ranking for the overall Regatta Trophy.

LawConnect mocks Comanche on arrival

The super favorite on the eve of the race was the 100-foot Comanche, already the real time winner of the last edition. And indeed, Comanche played the role of favorite to the best of his ability: leading from the very first bars, he led the race even going so far as to have a substantial margin of about ten miles over the pursuers.

The weather for this Rolex Sydney Hobart however, we anticipated in the presentation news, was rather uncertain, with a pertubation forming south of Tasmania that would bring variable conditions to the race course. As the bulk of the fleet headed down south winding against a robust southwest, up ahead the maxis arriving in Hobart instead faced very light and variable wind conditions. Ideal situation for those trying to make a comeback.

Comanche approached the final part of the race with about a 2-mile lead over Lawconnect, and this is where the “trapping” began. As the finish line approached the wind became lighter and lighter, with the inevitable comeback of the pursuer who always benefited from a few extra tenths of speed. Wind shift management did the rest, with Lawconnect taking the lead in the final sprint to a resounding bow-to-bow finish at the finish line. Comanche chews bitterly, but this is the Rolex Sydney Hobart and anything is possible.

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What boat is Lawconnect

Virgin, Rambler 100, Perpetual Loyal, Infotrack and now Lawconnect: those are the names this 33.59-meter, 7.40-meter-wide 100-footer, launched in 2008 by Cookson Boats to a Juan K. For Lawconnect, the one on Comanche is a rematch, as in 2019 it finished second in Hobart by 40 minutes behind its direct opponent.

The former Rambler 100, which was featured in a resounding wreck at the 2011 Fastnet after losing her keel, has been a consistently fast boat and a true record hunter at the regattas she has participated in. Over the years, it has received some improvements to make performance always relevant, the latest of which is a larger bowsprit to increase performance at carrying gaits and keep up with newer maxis. Comanche for example is from 2014, and has been described as the fastest Monohull in the world, even holding the 24-hour record-which is why Lawconnect’s victory is even more valuable.