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Four supermaxis in Sydney to Hobart battle

Wild Oats XI near the finish line in 2018.

Wild Oats XI near the finish line in 2018. Photo: AAP

Great rivals Wild Oats XI and Comanche both had turns at the front of the Sydney to Hobart fleet, with only around half a dozen miles separating the race’s four supermaxis on Thursday morning.

Wild Oats XI replaced Comanche at the front of the fleet on Wednesday evening, but Jim Cooney’s supermaxi regained the lead early on Thursday morning.

Later in the morning eight-time line honours champion Wild Oats XI snatched back the lead with all four big boats having reached Bass Strait.

Black Jack was third and InfoTrack fourth.

“We’ve been in close races with Comanche before, but never been in such a close race with four of us (supermaxis),” Wild Oats XI crewman Chris Links said.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Bellingham said it was unusual to see four supermaxis still so close together after more than 18 hours of racing.

“I think what it shows is the way the boats are configuring now they are good in all conditions,” Bellingham told AAP.

“Historically certain boats favoured light winds, others ones liked the heavy winds.

“But you can see Jim Cooney has done a lot of work on Comanche so that she can sail well in those lighter winds which she’s not famous for..

“Equally Wild Oats XI and Black Jack which are lighter wind boats are able to go in the heavy stuff.”

InfoTrack was over 20 nautical miles ahead of two 66-foot boats, the Tasmanian entry Alive and the all-female crewed Wild Oats X.

On Wednesday evening the leaders were on record pace, but fell behind projections early Thursday as winds dropped.

Comanche’s 2017 race record mark of of one day nine hours 15 minutes 24 seconds, looks safe with the first boats not expected to finish until Friday morning.

The line honours winner needs to cross the line before 2215pm (AEST) Thursday to set a new record.

After 20 hours of racing the fleet remained at 81.

M3 Team Hungary, the most recent of the four boats to retire, has made her way to Ulladulla on the NSW south coast.

“We’re shattered after all the effort that was put in.” crewman Paul Heyes said.

The remaining boats faced challenges later on Thursday with a change predicted.

“The original forecast was the wind to swing around to the west, before it goes south,” Billingham said.

“The challenge will be how long it takes for the main fleet to hit that and how long that hole is.

“It could be half an hour, It could be half a day and we could end up with a bit of a parking lot.”

Among the early handicap leaders were the 46-foot Patrice, which finished third overall last year, the Cookson 12 Grace O’Malley skippered by Zoe Taylor and the American Cookson 50, Privateer.

-AAP

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