The other Hobart race

Sam Crichton reports on the first finisher in on the race from Melbourne

Cruising down the Derwent River as the sun started to rise over Hobart this morning; the Volvo 60 Indec Merit took line honours in the 31st Indec Melbourne to Hobart race at 4:27am (local time) today. The race record of 1 day 23 hours and 15 minutes was safe for another year with the elapsed time for the line honours boat of 64 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds.

This is the second time skipper David Gotze has taken line honours in this race in the last ten years previously winning on Prime Example in 1993 and winning on IMS handicap with Sword of Orion in 1996. "It's great to be back in Hobart," smiled Gotze as he docked this morning. "The crew sailed well and are looking forward to well earned beer."

Indec Merit sailed overnight in continuous breeze that lightened at some stages but stayed with them all the way up the traditionally fickle Derwent River. After carrying spinnakers across the bottom of Tasmania they crossed the finish with a full mainsail and headsail.

25 miles behind Indec Merit and predicted to finish at approx. 9am in second place is Prowler, Christian Jackson's Elliott 47 from Geelong. After managing to give the bigger boat a scare on the second evening of the race the breeze built enough to allow Indec Merit to pull away from the 47 foot Elliott.

The remainder of the Indec Melbourne to Hobart fleet are expected to finish over the next 24 hours with the tailenders of the fleet still coming around the southern tip of Tasmania.