Sydney Hobart Race

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
InfoTrack gets the holeshot (again), but then it settles down. Easily the most interesting race in years from a tactical perspective. The wind is ALL OVER THE PLACE, and boats will trade distance for breeze for the next 24 hours. Scallywag100 and Comanche in a virtual tie at the moment. The navigators will get zero sleep this edition!


Screenshot 2019-12-26 14.30.04.png
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
BRASS BALLS on Stan Honey and the braintrust on Comanche.... they are 30nm east of the other leaders and now down to 4th in the line honors races as they are WAY off the rhumb line. Alone and unfraid. Wait to see if it pays!

Screenshot 2019-12-26 18.26.42.png
 
May 17, 2004
5,009
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
BRASS BALLS on Stan Honey and the braintrust on Comanche.... they are 30nm east of the other leaders and now down to 4th in the line honors races as they are WAY off the rhumb line. Alone and unfraid. Wait to see if it pays!

View attachment 173274
Interesting choices. At the level of resolution of the Windy map I don’t see much advantage to their line. Am I missing it or are they playing more localized puffs?
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Interesting choices. At the level of resolution of the Windy map I don’t see much advantage to their line. Am I missing it or are they playing more localized puffs?
no you’re right... hard to see... if an advantage exists at all!

sometimes you get caught out, and cutting your losses early is admitting defeat.

dance with the girl you brought to the prom.
 
May 17, 2004
5,009
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Well it looks like Comanche did something right - now showing first in Line Honors -
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From where they’ve put themselves now they may need to go deeper downwind than some of the others, or sail a few extra more miles gybing.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
It paid off for sure. It was hard for them to be sitting 30nm wide of the rhumb line, but it’s easy sitting 30nm straight ahead of the pack!

a new race start at storm bay, where the breeze is off and the fleet compresses. And Comanche sucks in light air.

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
In sight of the finish.... and parked.
Screenshot 2019-12-27 13.55.03.png
 
May 17, 2004
5,009
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Meanwhile Scallywag has fallen from first to fifth in the last 24 hours, in spite of being on what looks like it was the shortest course.

3F5DD7D2-43E2-4B29-853C-4F886E1D1AAF.jpeg
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
In sight of the finish, and parked.
I wouldn’t mind being parked at 9.7 knots :)

View attachment 173291
The tracker was way delayed. AIS was much more in real-time. They parked for sure. I was watching as well over on SA, where people were posting live pics of them just sitting in the river, being swept in by the tide.

20191228_065613.thumb.jpg.aeff2cd25da8a252aadec9cea37a1147.jpg


We have what, now 10 posts here?? Bit more interest over on SA. ;^)

Screenshot 2019-12-27 14.35.27.png
 

Apex

.
Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
And Line Honours for Comanche. Looks like 2nd place for InfoTrack.
Is this the same Comanche? I thought it was sold last year???
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
And Line Honours for Comanche. Looks like 2nd place for InfoTrack.
Is this the same Comanche? I thought it was sold last year???
Jim Clark got bored and sold it in 2017, where it was renamed LDV Comanche... a typical move where the owner's company (or big sponsors) name is appended to the boat name. The current owner (Jim Cooney) dropped the LDV to go back to just Comanche.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Move. Park. Move. Park. Move. Finish!

 

Apex

.
Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
looks like just you and I in this thread JD. This would be a great race just to go watch, let alone participate in!
 
Sep 15, 2016
782
Catalina 22 Minnesota
looks like just you and I in this thread JD. This would be a great race just to go watch, let alone participate in!
Nope your not alone I have enjoyed following this as well but rarely comment as my knowledge of this level of racing is well below beginner. Don't give up the posting though as I enjoy the commentary. Next year we should start one on the R2AK. Smaller boats but a unique set of challenges still not anywhere near this caliber though.
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Seems Scallywag hit a SHARK and the thing wrapped around a rudder! They had to drop sails and stop to clear the carcass. The skipper figures it cost them 4 miles; not hard to image when your'e doing 20 knots. In time that's not a lot, but they missed the podium by 38 seconds.
 
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Likes: Rick D
Jan 1, 2006
7,025
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I missed the start and haven't been able to catch up. I'm following but that's all. Hit a shark? Cripes! That's a well engineered rudder if it wasn't torn off the boat.