HK-owned Beau Geste among record breakers as Comanche earns Sydney to Hobart line honours after protest
Karl Kwok's Botin 80 is one of five boats who beat last year’s mark as judges uphold Jim Cooney’s protest against Wild Oats XI
Hong Kong-owned Beau Geste was among five boats who broke the Sydney to Hobart Race record as LDV Comanche took overall line honours ahead of Wild Oats XI after a successful protest.
Twenty years after businessman Karl Kwok won the race on a Farr 49-designed Beau Geste, his 2017 Botin 80 version was fifth across the line on Wednesday in a time of one day, 12 hours, 36 minutes and 23 seconds, beating the record set last year by InfoTrack (formerly Perpetual Loyal) of 1:13:31:20, along with Comanche, Wild Oats XI, Black Jack (third) and InfoTrack (fourth).
Australian supermaxi Comanche was awarded line honours on Thursday after an international jury imposed a one-hour penalty on Wild Oats XI following a protest.
Wild Oats smashed the race record when it crossed the line at Constitution Dock in Hobart on Wednesday after taking one day, eight hours, 48 minutes and 50 seconds to complete the 630-nautical mile race. Comanche, which had led for much of the race before both boats stalled in fickle winds on the River Derwent, finished just over 26 minutes later.
Comanche, however, had protested about a near collision between the two supermaxis when Wild Oats completed a tack about 15 minutes after the start in Sydney harbour.