There was no longer any question of a peaceful Christmas: The teams of the quartet of super yachts fought each other with all their might at the start of this year's Sydney-Hobart regatta in the most beautiful bay in the world.

Tens of thousands of spectators followed the start of the traditional race in glorious weather and initially relatively light wind from the slopes by the water, hundreds of spectator boats tried to get as close as possible to the "racing goats".

On the Supermaxi Law Connect, a crew member cried out almost in desperation: "We have no more space".

Christopher Hein

Business correspondent for South Asia/Pacific based in Singapore.

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The spectators were offered everything: the four giants came very close in the struggle for the best starting position when passing the heads, the rocks at the exit of the bay.

Series winner Wild Oats had to turn first and then took the lead.

A little later, the Supermaxi Comanche touched the first mark, and then Wild Oats, too, made two penalty squiggles after lengthy debates between record skipper Mark Richards and six-time America's Cup winner, Richard's New Zealand tactician Murray Jones.

It was initially unclear whether she had really broken the rules.

Jones, however, did not want to take the risk of later disqualification.

After a "Jesus Christ guys," Richards bowed down and turned his ship 720 degrees from full speed.

At 1 am local time, 109 yachts started the 77th edition of the Sydney-Hobart Regatta.

For the 628 nautical miles, the skippers are expecting comparatively good conditions this year, and for many that means fast conditions.

For the first time since 2019, the traditional regatta was restarted without restrictions due to the corona pandemic.

In 2020, "Sydney-Hobart" was canceled for the first time since 1945.

However, the Australians are coming under pressure after the borders of the long-closed fifth continent were opened this year: A total of eight foreigners are using the times after Corona to measure their strength at the regatta with its spectacular start in the European winter, which is followed worldwide.

Four Supermaxis duel for victory

It's not just the four supermaxis sailing to be the first to cross the line in Hobart Bay who are hoping for a relatively strong, steady breeze from the north.

It would allow a long, fast outhaul course along the south-east coast of Australia.

Bets are on whether the sailors will be able to beat the Comanche's 2017 speed record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds for the distance of 1163 kilometers.

The favorite in the quartet of around 30 meter long racing goats with their more than 20 sailors on board is the outdated Comanche, now in the hands of John Winning Jr., who comes from a sailing dynasty and is also the skipper.

He has enlisted former America's Cup sailor Iain Murray, among others, to help out.

In 2014, 2017 and 2019, the Comanche, at that time under different owners, was the first to cross the line at the end of the Derwent River in Tasmania.

She hadn't competed since her last win under American billionaires Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant.

Winning knows what it feels like to win in Hobart: he was aboard the supermaxi Perpetual Loyal, which won in 2016 and now competes under the name Law Connect with a Ukrainian flag in the sails.

The son of a sailing legend does not need to exercise restraint in Sydney: "If the boat doesn't break and we don't behave completely stupidly, we should reach Tasmania with the chance of a very good result - and that would be victory as the first boat," said Winning in advance.

And after the mistakes of the others, he actually led the field as the fleet charged south past Bondi Beach on a downwind wind.

The owner of Law Connect, Christian Beck, provided Winning with the template: He said his team only had a chance if Winning and his people made a mistake.

However, this year the Wild Oats, which “Sydney-Hobart” has won nine times, is also in the running again.

Long-term winner Richards said beforehand that his team had trimmed the Wild Oats for the wind from behind – and that was exactly what prevailed on Boxing Day.

Last year Black Jack had beaten their competitor Law Connect.

Australian ships had won the past four regattas by calculated time, and 12 of the last 13 races.

The three-time winner of this category, Australian owner Matt Allen's Ichi Ban, is not competing this year.

This also clears the way for others.

Among the challengers are New Zealand's TP52 Caro and American Warrior Won.

The British 38-foot yacht Sunrise is also considered dangerous by the Australian phalanx.

She has brought Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan on board, making her the first woman to complete 30 Sydney-Hobart races.

The lawyer from Sydney was at the start for the first time in 1984, which was followed, among other things, by three circumnavigations of the world.

In the past few months, Sunrise has not only won the Fastnet race,

but also left their competition behind in the Mediterranean and at the RORC Caribbean 600.

A victory on the other side of the world fitted into their global trophy portfolio.