Thousands lined the waterfront as Master Lock Comanche eased into Constitution Dock, greeted by cheers, applause and a sense of shared relief.
Provisional Line Honours winning time was 02 day 05 hrs 03 min 36 sec . . . Second was LawConnect, third SHK Scallywag 100, fourth Lucky and fifth Palm Beach XI.
“The run up the Derwent was the best I’ve had in 33 races,” Matt Allen said. “The sailing was superb, and the welcome in Hobart was unbelievable.”
The boat tracked competitors closely, sometimes separated by just a few hundred metres, but never engaged in distractions.
“We had them all on the tracker,” Allen said. “We knew exactly where they were, how fast they were going, what angles they were sailing. There wasn’t a moment we weren’t watching LawConnect, Scallywag and Lucky.”
Mayo said the turning point came when a small error by one rival opened the door.
“They made a mistake, we crossed them by about a boat length, and from then on our job was to stop looking backwards and start looking forwards,” he said.
The final reward came on the Derwent River, where light winds and smooth water delivered a rare moment of joy after days of tension.
Latest News 11:30 UK time . . . Sam Haynes Celestial V70 will be the 6th finisher, and take the overall race IRC ‘leader-in-the-clubhouse’ ranking.
Steve Dettre/RSHYR media
