Four super maxis set to contest Sydney to Hobart race

Published Nov. 29, 2017 4:08 a.m. ET

SYDNEY (AP) Four super maxis will be among 107 yachts entered in the Sydney to Hobart race beginning Dec. 26 from Sydney Harbour.

Christian Beck, the new owner of last year's champion Perpetual Loyal, now known as InfoTrack, has never experienced an offshore race.

He'll be up against Mark Richards, who has skippered Wild Oats XI to a record eight line honors victories in the annual 630-nautical mile race to the island state of Tasmania.

Skippering the other super maxis will be two-time winner Neville Crichton on Comanche and Peter Harburg, who has recorded top-five finishes in four of the past five years on different boats called Black Jack.

Race officials said Wednesday that the fleet includes five female skippers and a record 30 international boats, including the 87-year-old American yacht Dorade.