Christian Beck’s super-maxi Law Connect won the famed SOLAS Big Boat Challenge within Sydney Harbour in ideal conditions at the weekend, with the traditional buildup towards the Rolex Sydney Hobart race on December 26th also taking in the Cabbage Tree Island Race with a fleet of 55 boats.
The Cabbage Tree had much of interest, and Irish sailors in particular were focused on Richard Williams’ Cookson 12 Calibre (NSW) where Stephanie Lyons – she’s formerly of Kildare horse country, with her sailing starting with Kinsale YC and the sail training brigantine Asgard II – is signed on as bowman for her fourth Sydney-Hobart Race at the pointy end of the boat.
John Winning Jnr’s super-maxi Andoo Comanche took the line honours in the Cabbage Tree race, but the winner was the Farr-designed TP52 Koa (Peter Wrigley &Andrew Kernan). Calibre was 21st overall, but this improved considerably within Division 2 (more than half the fleet), where she placed sixth.
Fresh from the repair shop, Calibre 12 got back in the hunt with a sixth in class of 31 Div 2 boats in the Cabbage Tree Island Race
NINE MAXIS IN SOLAS BIG BOAT CHALLENGE
Nine of the best-performing maxi racing yachts in Australia competed in ideal sailing conditions for the Solas Challenge with an 18kt NE breeze on Sydney Harbour in the fifth and final race of the 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship.
The SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), has become a popular spectator event over its 25 years, and seldom fails to deliver close and exciting racing. As the last major event before the Rolex Sydney Hobart on Boxing Day, it’s a final test for crews, an opportunity to test set-ups and a chance to claim bragging rights over rivals.
The 2023 victors in both Maxi (80 to 100-foot) and Mini Maxi (60 to 79-foot) divisions have arguably been the form boats of the past few months.
Christian Beck’s Juan Kouyoumdjian Maxi 100 LawConnect has placed second to Andoo Comanche in many races in 2023 and has also been bridesmaid for Line Honours in the past three Rolex Sydney Hobarts. But under the guidance of Tony Mutter and Ty Oxley, the crew has gelled strongly and been sailing as a tight team, and for the SOLAS they completed the course without a blemish.
Big boat, small space – the 100ft Andoo Comanche needed all the room she could find in Sydney Harbour to be the top series line honours boat
Anthony Johnston’s Reichel Pugh 72 URM Group, winner of the Mini Maxi Division, has won three of five 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races, and is looking hard to beat in its division.
The Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship wrapped up with both Law Connect and URM Group comfortably taking out their divisions after consistent performances across the five races – Cabbage Tree Island Race, three Passage Races over two days and the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge.
The honours were further spread with multi-achieving Andoo Comanche winning the Maxi Line Honours prize.
