The 2021 Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race casts off on Boxing Day, and a fleet of 112 will chase their place in Australian sailing folklore.
Entries from four countries; Australia, Hong Kong, Monaco and Guernsey have been confirmed while just three Super Maxis will chase line honours.
The pandemic forced the cancellation of the Sydney To Hobart in 2020; the first time in its existence, and it is fair to say that Boxing Day simply did not feel the same.
I’ve run the rule over the fleet and provided my Sydney To Hobart Tips for both Line Honours and the Tattersall’s Cup (Handicap) below.
LINE HONOURS
SHK Scallywag 100 ($2.50)
Hong Kong’s sole entrant has opened favourite in Sydney To Hobart Line Honours betting, and with no Wild Oats XI in the fleet, this does look best-ever chance of tasting success.
The former Ragamuffin finished fourth in the hotly contested 2019 Sydney To Hobart, and she has returned some lovely results recently; finishing second behind LawConnect in the Cabbage Tree Island Race and winning the annual Big Boat Challenge most recently.
Her performance in those key lead-up events suggests she’ll be tough to beat in the STH.
LawConnect ($2.75)
The former InfoTrack, LawConnect finished second behind Commanche in the 2019 Sydney To Hobart, and she has been the other clear standout in this year’s lead-up races.
Having beaten Scallywag by almost an hour in the Cabbage Tree Island Race, she was unlucky to be pipped by that rival in the Big Boat Challenge, having opened a clear lead at one point in that race.
Christian Beck has had his eye on Sydney To Hobart Line Honours for a few years now, and I am personally confident that this will be his year.
Black Jack ($3)
One Yacht that is always thereabouts in the Sydney To Hobart is Black Jack, and she is set for another competitive effort in 2021.
Having tasted success in the race in 2009 (as Alfa Romeo), Black Jack was second over the line in 2018.
She took a commanding lead in this year’s Brisbane To Gladstone, but was unfortunately dismasted. The other two Super Maxis do look to have the runs on the board this year, but Black Jack is certainly up to the task should anything go awry with them.
TATTERSALL’S CUP (HANDICAP)
Ichi Ban ($3.40)
Reigning Handicap winner Ichi Ban has opened the $3.40 favourite in Tattersall’s Cup betting, and she is seeking to because the first yacht to win the honour three times, having tasted success in both 2017 and 2019.
She has finished third behind the two Super Maxis in both the Bird Island and Cabbage Tree Island Races this year, and she looks beautifully placed to win Handicap honours in 2021 Sydney To Hobart.
Alive ($7.50)
In my opinion, Ichi Ban will prove extremely difficult to beat in the Tattersall’s Cup, but Alive does look a bit of value at $7.50.
Ichi Ban’s two Sydney To Hobart Handicap wins bookend Alive’s impressive performance and triumph in 2018, and her crew clearly know what they are doing in Australia’s premiere blue water race.
Absolutely everything will need to go right, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her atop the Handicap field following the conclusion of the 2021 Sydney To Hobart.
