The utterly stellar Sydney-Hobart course record set by Irish-Australian Jim Cooney (his people are from Ballivor in County Meath) and Samantha Grant, racing the super-maxi LDV Comanche in 2017, is staying firmly in place for another year. Five years ago, Comanche under the Cooney-Grant command roared down the 628 miles course (it’s 627.84 nautical miles if you want to be completely precise) in an almost unbelievable 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds, and it’s a time that now looks simply unassailable.
But then we used to say the same thing about the Round Ireland record set in Steve Fossett’s 60ft trimaran Lakota - with the likes of Con Murphy and Cathy Mc Aleavey in the crew - in September 1993. And for sure it did stand for 23 years. But then in the Round Ireland Race of 2016, the three internationally-campaigned MOD 70s trimarans descended upon us, and tore round the Emerald Isle to such good effect that all three broke through the Lakota barrier.
However, today (Irish time) in John Winning’s ownership and under the name of Adoo Comanche, the mightiest super-maxi on the planet will be finishing first in the 2022 race, which started on Monday to provide downwind sailing all the way. But though she is undoubtedly still the boat that gets “the mostest there the fastest’, her Ballivor Time of 2017 is still the magic and seemingly unassailable target.
In fact, unless there’s a change of attitude by the rather conservative Organising Committee in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia - who have organised this classic annually since 1945 - we really can’t see the 2017 Comanche time being dented, as you surely would need a multi-hull - which is currently not countenanced - or else something like the recently-launched Mark Mills-designed Italian-built hybrid between the latest foiling America’s Cup boats and the most technically advanced keeled offshore racers. The consideration of this off-the-wall machine’s validity for entry would surely cause much sucking of teeth and pursing of thoughtful mouths in the committee room at Rushcutters Bay.
TWO-HANDERS COMPLETE DEBUT SEES LIMERICK’S CONDELL WELL-PLACED THIRD
As it is, it is only this year which has finally seen the debut of the Two-Handed Division as valid participants for the Hobart Race’s real Holy Grail, the Tattersalls Cup for the overall IRC winner. They were allowed to do the race in recent years, but were outsiders in the overall results. Perhaps their previous exclusion was to save rugged Hobart veterans embarrassment - when the Two-Handers were allowed open season in the RORC Fastnet Race, almost immediately one of them emerged as overall winner.
As it is, the Tattersalls factor added greatly to the Two-Handers attraction, with 20 of them making the starting line. And while Lee Condell of Limerick and his mate Linscoln Dews were back at 11th at one stage in their Sun Fast 330 Sun Fast racing, they’ve settled down into the flat-out racing mode in open water, and are currently lying third, which is good going for Condell’s first Hobart Race.
Ripe to race– Lee Condell’s Sun Fast 330 Sun Fast Racing in Sydney, ready to roll in the Hobart Race in which he currently lies third in the Two-handed Division
WHERE IS ADRIENNE CAHALANE?
For the fact is that experience of previous Hobart Races ranks exceptionally high, as no two stagings are the same. So as 2022 is Offaly-born Australian sailing superstar Adrienne Cahalane’s 30th time out, interest was exceptional as to which boat she was on board, and on Christmas Day a rumour began circulating to the effect that she had transferred from Tom Kneen’s Fastnet Race overall winner, the JPK 1180 Sunrise from Plymouth, to Chris Sheehan’s Connecticut-based all-conquering TP52 Warrior Won.
We ran this rumour story with all the caveats you could fit into one paragraph, but now our “normally reliable source” is not at all sure as to whether or not Adrienne is on Sunrise or Warrior Won.
Nice guys can finish first……Tom Kneen (seen here in the National YC in Dun Laoghaire) currently leads Division 3 in the Sydney-Hobart Race in his JPK 1180 Sunrise. Photo: Brian Turvey
But as it happens, it doesn’t matter all that much in relation to her performance record, as both boats are doing mighty well. The astonishing and wonderful Sunrise is currently lying sixth overall despite it currently being a big boat race, and is of course clear leading in Division 3, while Warrior One is third overall and second in Division 1. All of which would seem to indicate that the lightest brushing of that Cahalane stardust is all that you need…..
IRISH IN THE HUNT
We ran through the Irish sailors to be found throughout the fleet on Saturday, and today they’re headed on the water by Justin Slattery on Adoo Comanche, while Cian Guilfoyle of Dun Laoghaire is having a ball in the hyper-hot new Kiwi TP52 Caro (Max Klinch RNZYS) as they dice for the lead in Div 1 and the TP 52s with the likes of Celestial and Warrior One.
The saltiest of them all, Gordon Maguire aboard Sean Langman’s much modified RP69 Moneypenny, has seen things settling down nicely to have them currently placed second on CT in Div 0 with 140 miles to go, and they’re handicapping ahead of Jim Cooney’s current mount, the higher-rated (1.628) Volvo 70 Willow which has 120 miles to go.
If that 1.628 seems a rather stratospheric handicap, spare a thought for the lads and lasses on Adoo Comanche. They’ve one of the highest IRC ratings in the world at 2.047. That means they woild have had to get down to Hobart in about half the time it will take Tom Kneen to get there in Sunrise if they were going to be in serious contention for the Tattersals Cup.
Race Tracker here: https://rolexsydneyhobart.com/tracker/
