SYDNEY – Australian super maxi LawConnect snatched an early lead in the annual Sydney to Hobart race Sunday as a Covid-depleted fleet of 88 yachts embarked on one of the world’s toughest ocean events.
LawConnect hit the front ahead of SHK Scallywag, a rival 30-metre (100-foot) super maxi from Hong Kong whose crew struggled to recover after encountering sail problems in a dramatic early development in the race.
Spectator boats crowded into a cloudy, breezy Sydney Harbour to enjoy the return of the blue-water classic, which was cancelled last year because of Covid for the first time since it began in 1945.
The pandemic still cast a shadow, with some of the fastest yachts kept away this year, including super maxi Comanche and nine-time…
