Daily Times

SYDNEY: Supermaxi Black Jack won the prestigious Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Tuesday. Owned by Australian Peter Harburg and skippered by Mark Bradford, Black Jack took line honours after a tight tussle with LawConnect on the River Derwent after two days 12 hours 37min and 17 sec of racing. It was one of the slowest Sydney to Hobart races ever with harsh conditions forcing withdrawals due to damage or minor crew injuries. On Tuesday morning, Black Jack had regained a six nautical mile lead on LawConnect. Weather is critical in the 628-nautical-mile (1,200-km) race down Australia’s east coast to Hobart, one of the world’s most challenging ocean events.

Six men died, five boats sank, and 55 sailors were rescued during the 1998 event when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait. But this year, organisers also faced the trials of a global pandemic, which already nixed last year’s edition — cancelling the event for the first time since it began in 1945. Several yachts were also unable to compete because of Covid-19, including favourites Comanche and Wild Oats XI. Before the start, four yachts were forced to retire, leaving 88 entrants at the starting line, including 17 two-handed crafts, which are allowed to take part for the first time. It was a sharp reduction from the 157 boats that set out in 2019. Though the first yacht to reach the finishing line grabs most public attention, the main prize for sailors is regarded as the handicap honours, which take account of the size of the yachts.