Maritimo 11 Wins Line Honours in the 50th Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

In a time of 2 day 1 hours 22 minutes and 2 seconds, Michael Spies skippered the 54-foot Schumacher to victory in a race which tested the resilience and patience of the entire fleet, but none more so than the Maritimo crew. 

The Maritimo team expected to line up on the start line of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on the Maritimo TP52 but experienced boat damage on the trip south to Sydney. When an attempt to replace the TP52 entry with the Schumacher 54 in the race failed, Spies and the Maritimo race management quickly pivoted to the 50th anniversary Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, and what a decision that turned out to be.  

Maritimo led the fleet off the start line in Port Phillip at Portsea but after a tactical misjudgment on the sail across to Queenscliff, lost the lead to Rob Date’s high-performance Fast 40+ boat, Scarlet Runner, who pounced on the opportunity and was first out of Port Phillip Heads, winning the Port Phillip Bay Sea Pilots Perpetual Trophy for their efforts. 

Maritimo was locked in a close battle across Bass Strait with the Inglis 47 AdvantEDGE, skippered by Andrew Jones, Scarlet Runner, and Paul Buchholz’s Cookson 50, Extasea, but drew away from the fleet as they sailed past Green Point Beach on the run down the West Coast of Tasmania.    

Spies had the rest of the fleet covered from there, with the boat averaging 9.6 knots across the race, and making the most of the south-westerly air stream which saw her reach 16.9 knots in the run across the southern coast of Tasmania.    

Maritimo is currently well-placed to take out the IRC ratings division, but much will depend upon how the rest of the fleet navigates the last miles of the race and whether a forecast light sea-breeze helps or hinders the fleet.   

The overall winner will be decided on AMS handicap which is being led by the Elan 410, Saltair, skippered by Sarah Allard from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. Currently at the halfway mark, and with over 200 nautical miles and several weather systems still to navigate, it’s going to be a tall order for Allard to hold her lead.  

Other yachts currently in contention to win the race overall include Soiree Bleu, an Archambault A40 skippered by Douglas Lithgow, Patriot, sailed by Jason Close from the Sandringham Yacht Club in Victoria, and Goggo, a Beneteau First 50 skippered by William Newman from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.    

Expect division standings to fluctuate throughout the day as the Derwent River makes her intentions clear. 

Tasmanian boat AdvantEDGE is in a duel of her own against MRV, the Frers 61 skippered by Damien King, as they compete for a podium place on line honours.   

Racing is close in the double-handed division with Anthony Fowler’s Nelson Marek 43, Quest, and Alex Toomey’s Sayer 12, Ryujin, locked in a tight battle. 

Follow the race live on https://race.bluewatertracks.com/50th-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster-2022 

The 435 nautical mile Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, is organised by the ORCV with the cooperation of the Derwent Sailing Squadron.  

Jane Austin
ORCV media