The 75th edition of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is set to get underway, as always, at lunch time on Boxing Day. Join The Roar for live updates and coverage of the big event from 12:30pm (AEDT).
The usual suspects of Comanche, Wild Oats XI and Black Jack are firming as the favourites for this year’s race. North-easterly winds of 10 knots or more are set to give the yachts a huge advantage at the start, with extra importance to be placed on being first past the heads this year.
SHK Scallywag 100 and InfoTrack round out the list of main contenders.
As for line honours, Ichi Ban, Quest, Daguet 3, Maverick 49 and Midnight Rambler look to be the bet bets.
Prediction
Comanche skipper Jim Cooney has been talking the talk in the lead-up to this one, and we’re backing him to walk the walk.
Strong north-easterly winds at race time should be enough to see the two-time winner and race record holder build a comfortable lead early, before holding off fast finishers later to claim line honours.
Black Jack will also be favoured by the conditions and is a very strong chance, but the extensive repair work Wild Oats XI has undergone recently makes her slightly less of a threat.
Comanche to edge out Black Jack.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the 2019 Sydney to Hobart from 12:30pm (AEDT).
Start: Thursday, December 26, 1pm (AEDT)
Start location: Sydney Harbour
Finish location: Battery Point, Hobart
TV: Live, 7mate (first hour only)
Online: Live, 7plus (first hour only)
Betting: Comanche $2.80, Wild Oats XI $3.25, Black Jack $3.50, SHK Scallywag 100 $6.50
2018 winner: Wild Oats XI
Race record: Comance, 2017 – 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
Morning again Roarers! It's been a busy start to the day, with Comanche holding on to claim line honours for the third time! InfoTrack followed in second-place, while Wild Oats and Scallywag are still vying for third. For more info on Comanche's victory, head over here.
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
If the weather forecast holds, this race is Comanche’s to lose. Barring equipment failure or a brain explosion, they have it in the bag.
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
1 Day, 4 hours, 20 minutes For our final update of the day, two-time Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Comanche has moved into first place ahead of InfoTrack, with the far wider approach further out to sea paying off (at least for now!). Scallywag, who led for much of Friday morning and afternoon, is now in third, with Black Jack close behind. A little further back is defending champion and nine-time winner Wild Oats who remains a threat. We'll be back with further updates from tomorrow morning, and if you need more info in the meantime, you can keep across the race with the official tracker on the Sydney to Hobart website.
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
1 Day, 2 hours, 30 minutes After the halfway mark, we have a new leader! InfoTrack has edged in front of Scallywag, with less than half a mile separating the pair. Not far behind is Comanche, which pushed past Black Jack to move into third.
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
1 Day, 40 minutes With the race beyond the 24-hour mark, Scallywag remains in front. In a tight tussle, Black Jack and Infotrack are going head-to-head in second and third, boasting a four-mile lead over Comanche. Wild Oats meanwhile has managed to pass URM to sneak into fifth.
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
Hey Mark, it was a pretty wild few minutes there! Looks like the tracker's been corrected - Scallywag's still ahead and Maserati is back in 11th.
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
Small issue with Yacht Tracker....apparently Maserati has hit the lead doing 146 knots????????????????
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
22 hours, 20 minutes Black Jack is drawing closer to Scallywag, who still leads. Infotrack has overtaken Comanche to move into third, while Wild Oats is still sixth, trailing URM.
Anthony D'Arcy
Editor
Morning Roarers! 21 hours After a busy night which saw the lead change over a few times, Scallywag has pushed five nautical miles ahead of Black Jack. Close behind BJ are Comanche and Infotrack – all of whom are separated by less than two miles.
Marty
Guest
52nd place as at 9am AEST
Thaddeus
Guest
Where is happy wanderer?
Stirling Coates
Editor
4 hours, 40 minutes Last update for the day. Comanche is still well ahead as we enter the evening. Black Jack is still in the second, but the other supermaxis in Wild Oats XI, Scallywag and Info Track are right behind. Alive, Naval Group, Maserati and URM lead the rest. We'll have our next update tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you can check out the official race tracker on the Sydney to Hobart website.
Todd Ford
Roar Rookie
Where can I watch the race live?
Coastie Boy
Guest
Many of us really enjoy the Sydney to Hobart, & the updates are much appreciated. I wish, however, the super maxis were more accessible to members of the general public. Their various websites seem a tad bland, even “exclusive” at times - far out of reach for the Average Joe. People want a chance to get closer to the yachts. Their marketing needs to improve.
Stirling Coates
Editor
3 hours, 50 minutes Comanche is still powering ahead of the pack, staying further off the coast and enjoying the strong wind at her back. The chasing pack has probably edged a little closer, though. Black Jack has moved into second, Wild Oats XI is narrowly ahead in third, while Scallywag and InfoTrack are neck-and-neck for fourth.
Stirling Coates
Editor
It's a bit of a shame, but that's all there is. 7Plus - Channel 7's online streaming service - will stream the end of the race whenever that may be.
Stirling Coates
Editor
2 hours, 40 minutes It looks like Comanche is powering even further ahead, with the race-record holder currently in line with Shoalhaven Heads, albeit way further east than the chasing pack - who look to be just south of Gerroa. Info Track is still in second, Black Jack is narrowly third ahead of Wild Oats XI, while Scallywag has fallen to fifth.
Tigris
Roar Rookie
is there any place where there is live streaming of live video footage for this race ? i find the coverage great for the start on 7mate then everyone seems to abandon it except for outdated videos and mainstream tv news coverage which is so little. not happy!
Stirling Coates
Editor
1 hour, 40 minutes The supermaxis are coming past Wollongong just now. Comanche is still in the lead, but looks to be straying well east of the rhumb line to take greater advantage of the strong breeze. Info Track has re-established herself as the clear second-place runner, with Wild Oats XI, Scallywag and Black Jack all locked together in third. Alive, URM, Naval Group, Envy Scooters, Ichi Ban and Maserati are the best of the rest.
GeoffHyde
Guest
:happy: