- Field received his departure orders in Sydney Harbor at 1:00 p.m.
- Master Lock Comanche took an early lead
Reigning line honors champion LawConnect has led the Sydney to Hobart fleet out of Sydney Heads as the 79th running of the bluewater classic got underway on Boxing Day.
But a furling problem meant their lead was short-lived, with rival supermaxi Master Lock Comanche moving ahead and heading towards the New South Wales coast in a windy northeast.
The 100ft pair, the leading contenders for line honours, left picturesque Sydney Harbor well ahead of the chasing group at around 1.15pm local time, 15 minutes after the starting gun on Boxing Day.
LawConnect recovered from its sail issue, having suffered a similar problem early in the race last year, but not before Comanche opened a considerable gap.
Drama unfolded elsewhere when fellow supermaxi Wild Thing 100 narrowly avoided a collision with Celestial and overturned before regaining speed outside the Heads.
Competing in her second Hobart as a 100fter, Wild Thing will have to make the most of the reach conditions, when the wind blows through the boat, to challenge Comanche and LawConnect for line honours.
Master Lock Comanche (below) is pictured leading the field from Sydney to Hobart outside Heads on Boxing Day.
Wild Thing 100 (close-up) is seen almost colliding with Celestial
Sydneysiders flocked to the best vantage points to watch the yachts sail.
URM Group and Celestial V70, two leading contenders for overall honors, enjoyed a fast start; the former took a different tactical approach by staying close to the east coast from the start.
But Anthony Johnston's 72-foot URM Group completed a penalty turn for an incident that apparently occurred in port, details of which are still known.
The turn may have been a precaution.
Penalty shifts for incidents taking place in port must be completed early in the race, or else the offender risks receiving a time penalty upon arrival in Hobart.
Salt Lines was the last of the 104 starters to leave the Heads at around 1:50 p.m. local time.
A west-southwest change is expected to hit Bass Strait overnight, bringing strong winds and possible squalls that will be particularly difficult for the fleet's smaller ships.
The race record could be threatened if Comanche or LawConnect manage to take advantage of those conditions, but boats are at risk of damage in bad weather.