"'I'm talking about an ocean boat, I want something that will just fly.'" "I went back after that time here two-and-a-half years ago and I told Kenny `let's build the fastest boat that's ever been built,'" Clark said. Ichi Ban: This 60-footer could spike the hopes of many of the smaller boats and be a genuine threat if she gets the right conditions in a race that seems unlikely to favour the bigger boats.Ĭlark then revealed his intentions to leading American yachtsman Ken Read, who is now Comanche's skipper.
Wild Rose: Not had quite as good a year as in 2013, but still appeals as one of the better smaller boats, with wily veteran Roger Hickman one of the canniest skippers in the fleet.īalance: TV finance man Paul Clitheroe could be right on the money with his purchase of the former Quest, which took out overall honours in the 2008 race and has continued performing well. Onesails Racing: Prolific trophy winner Ray Roberts is back in the race for the first time in five years and could break his Hobart duck, with a boat that has done well in the past when it was called Living Doll. Victoire: The defending handicap champion remains a decent chance of being the first boat to go back-to-back in 49 years, if the forecasts do not change too much. ( Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)Ī frequent visitor to Australia, the birthplace of his wife Kristy, Clark had the idea of owning his own big boat planted in his mind by Sydney-based New Zealand-born sailor, Neville Crichton. Owner Jim Clark is hoping for a winning start for his supermaxi Comanche in the Sydney to Hobart.
"The first true race boat I've ever owned is this one." "My first time sailing was when I was 23 or 24 and the first boat I owned, I was close to 40. "My first time at the ocean was at age 13 when my family went to Florida to visit some relatives," Clark said. He grew up in Texas, around 500km from any large expanse of water. While many of Australia's, and indeed the world's, premier sailors either grew up near the water or developed an early affinity to sailing, Clark's story is very different. No race record is expected this year, with light winds for the start in Sydney Harbour, followed by a big southerly likely to hit the fleet as it makes it way down the NSW coast.Ĭlark has made no secret of his desire to win big races and smash records and the Sydney to Hobart is the first target for the boat launched just two months ago. The others are last year's winner Wild Oats XI, which aims to make history with a record eighth line honours victory if successful, Anthony Bell's Perpetual Loyal, veteran skipper Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin 100, and American challenger Rio 100.
RIO 100: Considerably lighter than in her last crack at the race as Lahana, she could sneak into a high placing if there is plenty of light air.Ĭomanche will be one of five supermaxis with a genuine chance of taking line honours in the race. Perpetual LOYAL: Crewed by the usual mixture of top notch sailors and celebrities, LOYAL poses a potential threat to all other supermaxis if she can hang tough when the wind goes light. Ragamuffin 100: There has been plenty of secrecy around Syd Fischer's renovated 100-footer, but what noises there are have been very positive and she looms as a dark horse. Wild Oats XI: Gunning for a record eighth line honours title, this majestic supermaxi has again been upgraded and looks to have her rivals covered in most conditions.Ĭomanche: Untested in ocean racing since being launched in October, she physically dwarfs Oats, but may not get enough of the strong winds she needs to best her Australian rival. The state-of-the-art vessel is one of the few new big racing boats built since the Global Financial Crisis and her presence has added lustre to the 70th edition of the Sydney to Hobart starting on Friday afternoon. The Netscape co-founder's imposing new yacht Comanche has been the talk of the town since it arrived in Sydney in early December as it prepared for the Sydney to Hobart.
He wants to rule the waves now, but supermaxi owner Jim Clark started life a long way from the ocean.