SYDNEY American super-maxi Comanche took line honors in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on Monday, staging an incredible comeback after damaging a rudder in rough seas and briefly retiring in what was the toughest competition in more than 10 years.
Comanche crossed the finishing line in Hobart's Derwent River estuary ahead of compatriot Rambler 88, vindicating skipper Ken Read's decision to make running repairs in winds of up to 40 knots instead of withdrawing like rival and pre-race favorite Wild Oats XI.
The victory will be a sweet moment for the crew of Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark's yacht. Comanche, designed to be the fastest monohull ever built, easily led the field early on but slipped behind Rambler 88 when it sustained damage in rough seas on Saturday evening.
After deciding to battle on, Comanche then staged a 13-hour chase to catch up with Rambler 88, before overtaking George David's yacht whose crew belatedly discovered their yacht had also sustained damage.
Around one-third of the more than 100 yachts that started the race, the largest number since 2004, were forced out by the weather.
(Reporting by Chris McCall; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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