The last competing boat in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2024, Salt Lines, a Shipwright 70, finished at 10:04:13am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on January the 1st (New Year’s Day) in 74th position bringing the 79th edition of The Great Race South to a close after LawConnect, a custom Juan K 100, took its 3rd line honours victory at 02:35:13am AEDT on December the 28th last year, beating Celestial V70, a Volvo Open 70, by 2 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds & 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres).
It was the 31-metre yacht’s 2nd consecutive victory& 3rd ever with her maiden record-breaking victory under the name Perpetual LOYAL. She didn’t break the race record this year, which is currently a finishing date/time of December 27th at 10:15:24pm AEDT & held by Comanche, a VPLP Verdier 100, since 2017, who had to retire on the 1st night of the 2024 race due to mainsail damage.
All but 5 of the 21-person crew of LawConnect in 2023 were the same last year plus they had an additional crew member.
Due to the tragedy on the opening night, the informal trophy giving ceremony held when the winning line honours-yacht docks was dispensed with, with just the handing over, by the Vice-Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia, David Jacobs, of a banner declaring LawConnect as line honours winners taking place instead. Skipper, Christian Beck, was unable to attend, having rushed off the yacht immediately upon docking due to a strong bout of food poisoning, so the banner was received by the yacht’s sailing master, Tony Mutter, who presented it to the rest of the crew. The banner was then unfurled before being hoisted on the stern of LawConnect.
Photograph: Salty Dingo
The trophy was formally given at the Prizegiving at the Hotel Grand Chancellor’s Federation Concert Hall on the afternoon of the 31st of December by the Tasmanian Governor, Her Excellency The Honourable Barbara Baker. Christian Beck was again unable to attend, being represented by Dylan Clarke, his pit man. He was presented with the John H. Illingworth Challenge Cup & Cannon, a Rolex Yacht Master Timepiece & a replica of the Cup.
Meanwhile, in the e-race on Virtual Regatta, French user, PassTaga-PredictWind.com [ALTA] finished on the 28th of December at 10:10:53pm AEDT to win out of a field of 55,896 skippers, winning in front of 2nd place user, Jelavoile – TORC/YWCN, also of France, by 14 seconds.
Other Race News
The below news is from 4:12pm AEDT 31st of December 2024 to the end of the race at 10:04:13am AEDT on January the 1st.
Fika, a Najad 1490, was declared winner of the double-handed handicap category of Performance Handicap System (PHS) after fellow competitor, Blue Moon, an Adams 16.4, crossed the finish line at 11:23:01pm on the 31st of December (New Year’s Eve) in 72nd on line honours at a speed of 4.5 knots (8.3km/h).
With a handicap of 0.9983, Blue Moon was ranked 3rd on the double-handed PHS category with a corrected finish time & speed of 11:09:43pm at 4.8 knots (8.9km/h) while Fika‘s corrected finish date, time & speed was the 31st of December at 3:45:40pm at 5.1 knots (9.5km/h) having a handicap of 1.15 & finishing 68th on line honours at 11:44:56pm on the 30th of December at 5.9 knots (10.9km/h).
Blue Moon was sailed by Tasmanian father and son, Ken and Tristan Gourlay while Fika was sailed by Queensland mother and daughter, Annette Hesselmans & Sophie Snijders.
In 2nd place in the double-handed PHS category was Rumchaser, a J122e. With a handicap of 0.9925, they received a corrected time of 05:24:11pm, having finished 69th on line honours at 6:20:35pm on the 31st of December at 5 knots (9km/h).
The 3 other yachts in the double-handed PHS category retired. They were a Northshore 370 named Sailor Moon (auto pilot issues), a Nautor Swan 38 named Celeste (running rigging damage) & a Class 40 named Lord Jiminy (injured crew member).
Sydney Spectaculars 
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