Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - Jazz and Victoire leaders

by ORCi media on 29 Dec 2010 Sydney Hobart - As of 0420 local time on 29 December, Chris Bull’s Cookson 50 Jazz is currently leading the ORCi fleet in the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race at their position 18 mi SE of Maria Island. In a race that has been described as 'classic' for its challenging upwind and cold ‘southerly buster’ conditions, Jazz’s canting keel has no doubt helped her performance relative to the fleet of 33 entries being scored in ORC International.

With 70 miles to go to the finish, runner-up Darryl Hodgkinson’s First 45 Victoire is 42 mi East of St Helens Pt and is trying to reduce their 38 min deficit in corrected time behind Jazz, and in turn keep their 36 min lead ahead of Greg Zyner’s Radford 12 Copernicus, currently in third place.

The race’s challenging conditions have taken their toll on the fleet, with numerous entries retiring, including last year’s winner Too True, a First 40 skippered by Andrew Saies that retired with engine problems.

Interestingly, Jazz and Victoire’s standings using IRC scoring is reversed, with the First 45 being 36 min ahead of the Cookson 50 in corrected time. It should be noted, however, that Jazz’s position is based on deduced reckoning, which assumes a current position deduced from their previously known position.