For the second consecutive year, Christian Beck’s LawConnect was the first boat to complete the course of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, marked in this 79th edition by some harsh conditions and the tragic loss of two lives on the first night of competition. The Australian supermaxi, which had on board the Spaniards Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons, Carlos Hernández and Sinbad Quiroga, stopped the clock in 1 day, 15 hours, 46 minutes and 36 seconds.
After a magnificent departure from Sydney Harbour, the fleet began the route to Hobart in anticipation of tough wind conditions. Leading the charge, the 100-foot supermaxi Master Lock Comanche devoured miles at record speed, followed by archrival LawConnect as the sun set and the weather worsened. On a night that is already part of the saddest chapter in the history of the regatta, the defender of the absolute title, TP52 Alive, began a abandonment sequence that included the leader Master Lock Comanche and boats of all lengths. Further back in the fleet, two teams reported accidents on board and the tragic death of two participants.
«We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the two crew members.», explained on behalf of the organization the vice-commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), David Jacobs. «Our priority has to be for families, for their friends, for the nautical community and, in particular, for the boats that are still racing. “We have to focus on making sure we control them from a safety standpoint.”
First in Hobart
LawConnect was the first to break through the front that hit the fleet in Bass Strait and completed the route after 2:30 a.m. on Saturday with a time of 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds. The boat built by Christian Beck, which was thus defending the title achieved in 2023, had on board three Spanish oceanic experts: the Canarian Sinbad Quiroga and Carlos Hernández, and the Cantabrian Antonio ‘Ñeti’ Cuervas-Mons.
Ñeti is the oldest of the group, with six participations in the Southern Hemisphere oceanic classic (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and three victories (2016, 2022 and 2024). «It has been, without a doubt, the hardest edition of the six in which I have participated», he explained already on Tasmanian soil. «Conditions that reminded me a little of what you can find in the Southern Ocean on a trip around the world: aft with very gusty and very hard wind (we have seen gusts above 45 knots in the stern, and solid 35-37 knots ). What has made the difference in our case is that we have what I believe is the best crew in the fleet. We all have a lot of experience, and that is essential in a 36-tonne superyacht like this and especially when conditions like those of this edition exist.
In his fifth participation, Carlos Hernández achieved his second consecutive victory. According to the canary: «It has been a tougher edition than usual. The race usually begins upwind in the bay, a long downwind stretch and upwind finish. This year we left with quite a bit of tailwind, we had to cross a front with the sea crossed, and the morning of the second day was hard to be on the boat. The transition was right in Bass Strait, and we had to slow down to preserve the integrity of the boat».
Sinbad Quiroga’s experience at the Rolex Sydney Hobart is measured by victories. He debuted by winning in 2023 and repeated the result this year aboard the same boat: «The regatta has been very complicated. In conditions, it was much tougher than last year, although in maneuvers it was easier. It was hard to keep the boat in one piece, tighten just enough and not break in the jibes. We had to be very careful, because any mistake could lead to breakage.. This morning was especially hard, with a very fast beam, at about 28-30 knots and with the wave constantly sweeping the deck.
Candidate for the absolute title
A little less than three hours after the arrival of LawConnect, the Celestial V70 crossed the finish line. The boat built by Sam Haynes, CYCA commodore and champion in 2022, thus reaffirmed its candidacy to repeat the feat and achieve the absolute title in the 79th Rolex Sydney Hobart, which is awarded to the best boat in compensated time. For now, we will have to wait to see if any of the boats still in the race manage to improve their record.
Of the 104 boats that started the race on December 26, 28 had withdrawn by the time LawConnect completed the course.
The 79th Rolex Sydney Hobart awards ceremony will be held in Hobart on December 31 to round out the global grand regatta season.
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