Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Perpetual Loyal leads fleet to Hobart
by Di Pearson on 26 Dec 2016
Wild Oats XI and Perpetual Loyal - 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race start, Sydney Harbour Michael Chittenden
Anthony Bell’s 100ft Perpetual Loyal had the distinction of leading the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet out of Sydney Harbour on a perfect Sydney summer day.
Mark Richards could not call the pin end of the start line his own today, the other three ‘supers’ stuck line glue to the record eight times line honours winner of the 628 nautical mile race.
The 72nd running of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s iconic race could not have got off to a better start, with no boats over the three start lines early.
Wild Oats XI (the Oatley family) skippered by Mark Richards closest to the pin, with Seng Huang Lee’s Scallywag (David Witt skippering), Perpetual Loyal, then Ludde Ingvall’s CQS, which was almost on her side, presumably something going wrong with the canting mechanism, inside the Harbour and lost ground.
As Loyal made the sea mark first in around 15 minutes, Scallywag was close behind, but Karl Kwok’s 80 foot Beau Geste beat her around, Wild Oats XI was fourth, and it was Peter Harburg’s V70, Black Jack, skippered by Mark Bradford, that was fifth out. Then followed Jim Delegat’s V70, Giacomo (NZL) and finally CQS.
Richard Lees’ 71 year-old Freyja was looking likely to be last outside the Heads, but at 1.50pm, Murray Owens’ Simplesail Mahligai with a Russian crew aboard, was still exiting the Harbour. It is presumed she was late to the start.
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