Comanche, the Newport, RI 100-foot supermaxi representing the New York Yacht Club, won line honors at the prestigious Rolex Sydney to Hobart race. The yacht, owned by Netscape founder Jim Clark and skippered by Ken Read of Newport, RI covered the race’s 628 nautical miles (nm) in two days, eight hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds.
“This is a hard race. I have sailed around the world two and a half times and I thought I had seen it all, but this is one hard body of water,” victorious skipper Ken Read told the media.
“The people who have done this race 25 times, God bless them, they are the hardest people on Earth or the dumbest people on Earth — probably a combination of the two.”
Other Newporters on the team were Nick Dana, Newport; Casey Smith, Portsmouth; Tim Hacket (Build and Shore Team manager) Newport; Justin (Juggy) Clougher, Newport; Joe Fanelli, (Newport Alumni!)
