Wednesday morning saw four more participants crossing the finish line of the Rolex Sydney Hobart race. Lahana, Ichi Ban, Wild Thing and Rán finished their run early morning on the 29th of December. Lahana, captained by Peter Millard had to go through the same conditions as Investac Loyal as it encountered the dropping of winds on Derwent River. Lahana’s crew took a total of two days, fourteen hours and nine minutes to complete the coveted Rolex Sydney Hobart race.

Matt Allen’s Jones 70 Ichi Ban had a similar story to tell. Matt Allen sailed in an inspiring manner and faced stiff competition from rivals like the supermaxi Wild Thing and Rán. Talking about his experience during the toughest Rolex Sydney Hobart Race so far, Matt Allen said that the conditions were fine and they reached Tasman Island under northerly breeze; however, the conditions beginning Derwent River were not good as there was no wind at all.

Ichi Ban completed its sail in the Rolex Sydney Hobart in a total of two days, sixteen hours and fifty-two minutes. Right behind Ichi Ban was Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing that took 23 minutes more than its rival.  Zennstrom’s Rán finished seven minutes behind Wild Thing. This was Rán’s second participation in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Commenting upon his experience, Zennstrom stated that the experience of the entire race was utterly fantastic and now he finally understood what the race was all about. He narrated that crossing Bass Strait at 35 knots of wind was the most difficult thing that he had to encounter during the entire race.

On Wednesday morning at around 10.30 am, the Hobart coast saw Alan Brierty’s Reichel/Pugh Limit crossing the finish mark and in a span of less than three minutes it was followed by Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki. Both the yachts were exposed to extreme weather conditions during the regatta. Speaking about the neck to neck competition with Loki, Alan Brierty of Limit said that it was a race within the race. He mentioned that it was back and forth for them throughout, but when they hit the Tasman Light they made it to the front and maintained their position till the end.

Commenting upon their finish behind Limit, Stephen Ainsworth said that the crew of Loki did the best of everything that they could and eventually Limit gained a lead with which they just could not catch up. He teasingly even said that he hated his race. Being questioned upon the comparison of the Rolex Sydney Hobart with other races, Chris Dickson, the tactician of Limit said that the race was not better or worse than any other Hobart event. The crew saw 45 knots of winds, big waves and everything that could have made the task challenging.

Race organizers have announced 17 retirements so far, the latest being Matthew Prentice’s Archambault 40 Nautical Circle. Until now nine yachts have crossed the finish line and 61 are still at sea. The Tattersall’s Cup for the overall handicap win is still open.  Currently Darryl Hodgkinson’s Beneteau 45, Victoire is leading ahead and needs to finish the race by 07.36 on December 30th if it wants to secure its position.

This Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative duo may have had the most quirky time bonding as they went off to see the volcano Eyjafjallajokull, which was later responsible for disrupting European flights this year. Brian Eno and Ben Frost are the mentor and protégé for this year in the music category at the initiative. While the protégé, Ben Frost is an Australian composer, the mentor, Brian Eno is a visionary music producer and theorist amongst other things. Brian Eno has had an astounding career in music that has spanned over 40 years. He is not only an accomplished composer and singer, but also a multimedia artist and technological innovator, who has immensely influenced music genres as varied from rock to techno.

Brian Eno has collaborated with a number of brilliant performers over the years. These associations have led him to create unusual aural environments, as he terms the effect of his performances. Gaining eminence in the 1970s, Brian Eno started out as a keyboard and synthesizer player for the glam-rock band Roxy Music. His most significant and influential numbers include No Pussyfooting, the solo hit Here Come the Warm Jets, and the sound featured in Discreet Music as well as Music for Airports. This founder and director of the Long Now Foundation, illuminated the Sydney Opera House with his inventive installations. His musical artwork, 77 Million Paintings uses self-generating software to manipulate drawings.

Ben Frost’s music has been said to be compelling, mystifying, disturbing and beautiful, all at the same time. He holds a Degree in Fine Arts from Melbourne, after which he relocated to Iceland to co-found the record label Bedroom Community. Just as his mentor, Ben Frost has produced some genre-defying work that is as much influenced by Classical Minimalism as much by Punk Rock and Metal. His most accomplished works include Steel Wound, Theory of Machines and By The Throat. Commenting on his mentorship experience, Ben Frost stated that both he and Brian Eno had nothing concrete decided for the year. They both agreed to let the year unfold the process rather than them forcing an exchange. The duo has so far discovered that they share in their fascination with the world that goes beyond the realm of music and art. Ben Frost stated that they have been more comfortable talking about neurosciences even instead of sticking to music or instruments.

While both mentor and protégé have had a jam packed schedule for 2010, they state that there would be more room for interaction between them in the coming year. However, in the little time they have spent together, the duo has felt a connection. Ben Frost is currently working on the score for a 1972 psychological drama, Solaris. Ben Frost stated that the involvement of his mentor helped his composition by making him look at the bigger picture. After discussing the possibilities for the score, Brian Eno presented Ben Frost with an elegant idea for the video work. The protégé appreciated the input by stating that it was an elegant solution for a complicated problem.

Three and a half hours after the provisional Line Honors winner, Wild Oats XI sailed in, Investec Loyal followed suit. The supermaxi relaxed only once it had the finish line in sight. Second to cross the line in the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, the 100-foot supermaxi stands a chance to be named the winner. As Wild Oats XI still has a protest pending against it by the committee for not complying with the rules, there are chances that it may be stripped of its win. Nonetheless, Investec Loyal’s co-owner Sean Langman still congratulated the crew of Wild Oats XI on being the first to cross the line.

The three and a half hour gap between Wild Oats XI and Investec Loyal can be attributed to a sudden drop in winds. The Derwent River took to its old tricks after the leader anchored in, as it made for difficult conditions when the winds dropped just before midnight. This is the third time that Sean Langman and Anthony Bell’s Investec Loyal has come so close to winning, but had to settle for the second position. The decision of the international jury on Wednesday, 29th December; however, could change things for three time runner up. Commenting on the situation, Sean Langman stated that he wanted a victory on the water instead of what might come his way due to a jury hearing.

When asked whether he would be up to a challenge against Wild Oats XI again, Sean Langman stated that he would without a doubt and that there was still more to offer in his team and his boat. Commenting on the provisional line honors winner’s performance he stated that Investec Loyal was the faster boat the first afternoon; however, Wild Oats XI was a slicker team of the two. He further added that he would now work on changing that as well and that the Investec Loyal team sailed with a seamanship spirit. For the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Investec Loyal had a star-studded crew that included seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley, former Wallabies Phil Kearns and Phil Waugh, Olympic butterfly champion Geoff Huegill as well as former Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden.

Speaking about his experience aboard the 100 footer yacht, Matthew Hayden stated that he was put to work on the bow and that he had a tough time getting the bodyweight low. He added that he did not suffer seasickness anytime during the race and that it was such a great experience that he would not mind repeating it. Matthew Hayden went on to add that he felt safe and warm aboard the Investec Loyal and his training had come in handy. The brilliant lineup also included North Sails’ Michael Coxon, America’s Cup sailor Billy Merrington and Olympic sailor Anthony Nossiter. The race left all its newbie sailors in awe as they admired the level of concentration and focus it required. While Geoff Huegill was the most impressed, Layne Beachley got the “golden pillow award” for her seasickness continued from 9 pm on the 26th and lasted until 6 am on the 29th.

There is jubilation and merriment aboard Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI, and with good reason too. The previously four-time Rolex Sydney Hobart Race champions have done it a fifth time. They are the first to reach Hobart and cross the finish line to grab the Line Honors victory. However, the win has come amidst protests by the Race Committee claiming that the 100 foot supermaxi has not complied with its rules. It has announced that Wild Oats XI and Ran breached Rules 44.1 (a) and 44.2 of the Sailing Instructions, which means the boats did not report from Green Cape via HF radio. The committee went on to add that the boats only reported via telephone, which could be hazardous in case a search and rescue operation needed to be initiated similar to the one in1998.

Despite the protest, the team’s victory cannot be ignored, though it could be dampened due to the same. Wild Oats XI has been announced the provisional line honours winner of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. However, the final declaration will come only once a jury convenes on the 29th of December at 1.00 pm. The meeting will be4 held at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, which is the race finishing club. The team concluded the race at 8.37 pm on Tuesday evening after charging towards the finish line at a speed of 15-19 knots. Wild Oats XI successfully finished the race in 2 days 7 hours 37 minutes and 20 seconds. The average speed of the 100-foot supermaxi throughout the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race was 11 knots.

Taking cue from their 2009 performance, wherein their chances for a fifth consecutive win were disrupted by Neville Crichton’s 100-footer Alfa Romeo, skipper Mark Richards had vowed to overhaul their 2010 strategy. He had stated in the beginning of the year that their preparation this time would be dramatically different. He went on to implement his statement by competing in various offshore races. This helped the team spend more time on the waters, which gave them better insight into their faults and the opportunity to iron them out way ahead of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. This time also helped them improve their teamwork as the crew consisted of some of the biggest names in Australian and New Zealand ocean racing.

With their fair share of Rolex Sydney Hobart races behind them, the team made modifications to the 100 foot yacht as well in order to improve its upwind performance. The spectacular performance of the boat in the toughest Rolex Sydney Hobart Race yet has helped silence those skeptics who always believed that the 100-footer was a fair wind flyer. Following Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI are Investec Loyal, Lahana and Ichi Ban. The race this year has witnessed some of the toughest conditions, which translated into more retirements that anticipated. With the Line Honors already claimed it would be interesting to see who claims the Tattersall’s Cup along with being the overall handicap winner.

Team TRG has had an outstanding run in the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car competitions. With three victories and eleven podium finishes, the team has announced its robust lineup and entries to continue its winning streak. Introducing the drivers and chassis for the endurance race this year, team owner Kevin Buckler is quite confident about TRG’s chances of repeating its Daytona history. The Rolex 24 At Daytona acts as a season opener for the Rolex Sports Car Series. Scheduled for the 29th of January, it is the first sports car event of the year. The twice-round-the-clock race is counted as one of the toughest endurance races in the world and is definitely the most challenging one in the United States.

When speaking about the preparations before the race, Kevin Buckler stated that he and his team worked hard even during the holidays. He stated that the Rolex 24 At Daytona has been their signature event for the past ten years and that their entire team pitches in to make it an incredible success every time. With four entries for the year, Kevin Buckler is leaving no scope for disappointments as he backs those Porsche engines with an all-star lineup that boasts of sportscar veterans, past champions as well as Porsche specialists. Talking about the No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, he stated that driving duties will be shared between Brendan Gaughan, Steve Bertheau, Spencer Pumpelly and Andy Lally along with Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler. While Wolf Henzler, Spencer Pumpelly and Andy Lally all boast of Rolex 24 victories in their kitty, Brendan Gaughan and Steve Bertheau will be making their debut. This puts a lot of experience, tactic and speed behind the wheel of the No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

The second car in the event shall be the No. 4 Children’s Tumor Foundation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. The lineup taking up the duty herein would be Daniel Graeff, Rich Zahn, Ron Yarab, Kenny Wallace and Ryan Eversley. While Ron Yarab and Daniel Graeff, both hold considerable experience in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Kenny Wallace will be making a comeback in the series and Rich Zahn will be brining in his GRAND-AM and Porsche club expertise. The No. 4 Porsche will be competing with another special agenda on its hands besides a podium finish, which is to raise money for children suffering from neurofibromatosis. The No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is scheduled to be packed with James Sofronas, Bret Curtis, Tim Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Patrick Pilet. Tim Pappas, owner of Black Swan Racing is joining forces with team TRG in order to leverage the success record of the team in the endurance race as well as cash in on the combined strength of the alliance.

While the driver lineup for the fourth entry is yet to be announced, Kevin Buckler states that he expects this year to be the team’s best so far. He adds that getting such a strong lineup and cars will be the best way to declare to the world that they are here to stay and are stronger than ever. He further stated that he is extremely pleased to be running a worthwhile program alongside such as the Children’s Tumor Foundation.