Home built Bakewell-White 45 wins the Launceston to Hobart Race

The homebuilt Bakewell-White 45, Crotty Dental and Legal, winner of the 2008 Launceston Hobart Race Event Media

Crotty Dental and Legal, winner of the 2008 Launceston Hobart Race is a 2002 Bakewell-White 45 design. © Event Media

Garry Smith and Geoff White’s New Zealand designed yacht crossed the finish at 11.20pm last night, shaving a massive nine hours off the race record.

The www.bakewell-white.com!Bakewell-White designed 45 footer, skippered by Smith, led the 280 nautical mile race until the off-shore experience aboard Sydney 38 Creese Property saw the yacht take the lead with just 40 miles to go.

The two-yacht show down saw crew work and long water line bring Crotty Legal and Dental home, stamping its authority as a serious off-shore contender after succeeding in its first off-shore race.

It wasn’t all plain sailing with the New Zealand designed and home-built Crotty Legal and Dental spinning out of control and losing steering with less than 30 miles to go.

The crew was forced to replace the dual wheel system with an emergency tiller to steer the yacht on home.

Crotty Legal and Dental was designed by Brett Bakewell-White in 2002 and built by an enthusiastic amateur team using timber and composites, under the constraints of a tight budget.

Creese Property, skippered by David Creese, crossed the line just 20 minutes behind Crotty Legal and Dental, finishing at 11.40pm.

Fellow Sydney 38 Asylum was hot on Creese’s stern, finishing just 20 minutes behind Creese Property.

It was a case of déjà vu for Asylum, skippered by Dianne Barkas, with the yacht crossing in an impressive third position as it did last year.

The homebuilt Bakewell-White 45, Crotty Dental and Legal, winner of the 2008 Launceston Hobart Race, taking a massive 9 hours off the race record. © Event Media

A strong northern leg secured Redback a strong finish in fourth position.

Launceston’s line honors hopeful Nick Edmunds fell well short of his 24 hour race time prediction, but finished strong securing fifth place.

Strong westerlies in excess of 40 knots saw sports boat Tas Marine Construction’s race success fall short of a podium finish.

Crotty Dental and Legal, winner of the 2008 Launceston Hobart Race, finished under emergency steering, but still gave the race record a hammering. © Event Media

The Thompson 920 was shaping up well in second position until hit by big winds at Shouten Island.

Having torn the yacht’s main big wind spinnaker skipper Rod Gourlay had no choice but to continue in the big winds without a kite and with meager sail area.

The family-affair aboard Liberte Express saw the yacht power home to seventh position.

Peter Williams skippered with the assistance of his wife Carolyn, son Daniel and extended family members including his brother John Williams, his wife Maggie and their son Chris.

Allusive, Archie and Masquerade rounded out the top ten, in eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.

Prion also crossed early this morning about 6am this morning.

The bulk of the remainder of the fleet is in Storm Bay.

Careena skippered by Ross Carey is currently in last position.

Provisional IRC results have Creese Property in the number on position, with Asylum in second place and Archie, skippered by Sally Rattle, in third.

PHS handicap standings have revealed that size doesn’t matter with the small boats leading the charge. Redigo and Kaiulani are front runners.