Handicap upset

Sam Crichton updates us on the 'other' Hobart race

All 17 boats in the Indec Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race were at the Elizabeth St dock in Hobart by dark last night. Island Trader skippered by John Chatham was the last boat to finish the 480-mile race crossing the line at 8:28pm with Nick McGuigan and Gary Roswell's Magazan 53 finishing 15 minutes before.

Conditions for the last 40 miles of the race allowed the tailenders to come down the Derwent River after rounding Cape Queen Elizabeth with breezes up to 50 knots. Earlier finishers didn't benefit from these conditions and this allowed the final boats to influence the final places in the handicap divisions.

These finishing places have given the last boat over the line places in both the AMS and IRC divisions.

Tristan Gourlay's Force Eleven, the only Tasmanian entry in the Indec Melbourne to Hobart Yacht race, finished eighth over the line late yesterday afternoon.

Final places in each of the handicap divisions:

AMS: 1st - Wavelength (Keith O'Donnell) 2nd - Island Trader (John Chatham) 3rd - Rumbeat (Geoff Henderson)

IRC: 1st - Magazan 53 (Nick McGuigan/Gary Rowswell) 2nd - Island Trader (John Chatham) 3rd - VDO Ruthless (John Geist)

PHD: 1st - Rumbeat (Geoff Henderson) 2nd - Wavelength (Keith O'Donnell) 3rd - Magazan 53 (Nick McGuigan/Gary Rowswell)