Sailing: Kiwi-skippered LawConnect wins Sydney to Hobart race in dramatic finish

It was fourth time lucky for LawConnect's Kiwi skipper Christian Beck as his supermaxi reined in Andoo Comanche over the final approach to claim line honours in the 78th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race by 51 seconds on Thursday.

The two big yachts had run neck-and-neck at the front of the fleet of more 100 boats over 628 nautical miles (1163 km) from Sydney harbour to Tasmania's main southern port.

LawConnect, which last won the race under the name Perpetual Loyal in 2016, had finished runner-up in line honours for the last three runnings of the bluewater classic, last year behind Comanche.

Thousands of spectators gathered at Hobart's Constitution Dock to watch one of the closest finishes in the long history of Australia's most prestigious ocean race.

"I can't believe that result, I never thought it was possible," Beck told reporters at the quay.

"We thought we'd definitely lost it 15 minutes before because they were three miles ahead ... (but) wind gusts came in, it was a complete surprise."

Stormy weather had made conditions tough and the winning time was one day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds, well outside the record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche in 2017.

Most of the rest of the fleet remains in the sometimes volatile Bass Strait, which separates the mainland from the island state of Tasmania, and the winner of the overall handicap title might not be known for several days.

Eleven boats have retired from the race but there have been no fatalities, a reflection of improved safety standards since six sailors were killed when a major storm hit the fleet during the 1998 running of the race.

Reuters.

It was fourth time lucky for LawConnect's Kiwi skipper Christian Beck as his supermaxi reined in Andoo Comanche over the final approach to claim line honours in the 78th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race by 51 seconds on Thursday.

The two big yachts had run neck-and-neck at the front of the fleet of more 100 boats over 628 nautical miles (1163 km) from Sydney harbour to Tasmania's main southern port.

LawConnect, which last won the race under the name Perpetual Loyal in 2016, had finished runner-up in line honours for the last three runnings of the bluewater classic, last year behind Comanche.

Thousands of spectators gathered at Hobart's Constitution Dock to watch one of the closest finishes in the long history of Australia's most prestigious ocean race.

"I can't believe that result, I never thought it was possible," Beck told reporters at the quay.

"We thought we'd definitely lost it 15 minutes before because they were three miles ahead ... (but) wind gusts came in, it was a complete surprise."

Stormy weather had made conditions tough and the winning time was one day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds, well outside the record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Comanche in 2017.

Most of the rest of the fleet remains in the sometimes volatile Bass Strait, which separates the mainland from the island state of Tasmania, and the winner of the overall handicap title might not be known for several days.

Eleven boats have retired from the race but there have been no fatalities, a reflection of improved safety standards since six sailors were killed when a major storm hit the fleet during the 1998 running of the race.

Reuters.

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