3 minute read

InfoTrack has continued her impressive leadup form to the Sydney Hobart by taking line honours in the Big Boat Challenge.

InfoTrack has beaten rival Black Jack 100 for the second time in a few days, with the acting skipper of the victorious boat revealing how close this year's Sydney Hobart came to not having any supermaxis in the fleet.

Fresh off taking the treble of line, IRC and PHS honours in last weekend's Cabbage Tree Island race, Christian Beck's 100-foot boat produced another strong effort in Tuesday's Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour.

Black Jack 100 got off the line a bit quicker but it didn't take long for InfoTrack to hit the front and she stayed there for the majority of the race.

Just four boats contested the race which was cancelled in 2019 due to the smoke haze caused by the bushfires.

InfoTrack revelled in the 15-to-20 knot breezes on Tuesday, completing the course in 52 minutes 35 seconds, 54 secs clear of the other supermaxi.

She finished second across the line in last year's Sydney Hobart, with Black Jack 100 three places back.

They are the only two 100-foot boats in this year's Sydney Hobart.

Black Jack 100 wasn't scheduled to do this year's Hobart as the boat had been moved to Monaco to compete in Europe.

COVID forced a change of plans and the former Queensland-based boat decided in mid-year to return to Australia for the 2020 Hobart race.

"We're very glad that they (Black Jack 100) were able to get the boat back from Europe," acting InfoTrack skipper Tony Mutter said following Tuesday's race.

"I think if they hadn't had there's no way that we would actually be racing (in the Sydney Hobart).

"Until we heard that they were coming back there was no talk about us doing the race at all, the boat would still be parked in Newcastle right now.

"We think it's going be a real hard ask for us to be able to beat them to Hobart, I think it's going to be one hell of a match race."

At last month's race launch, InfoTrack owner Christian Beck declared his boat was the underdog of the two supermaxis.

"We're clearly the underdog now right?" said Black Jack 100 skipper Mark Bradford after Tuesday's race.

Mutter fired back "I don't think so."

The New Zealander wasn't convinced his boat's two wins meant much.

"It reinforces all the hard work that the guys have been doing, but we can't let it go to our heads," Mutter said.

The 62-foot Whisper, which finished third across the line on Tuesday, took out IRC handicap honours ahead of InfoTrack.