Master Lock Comanche holds the lead off St Helens Point, though with speeds compressed in the lighter air, its advantage of 1.3 knots tells only part of the story. The margins separating the front-runners are razor thin, with barely a mile covering the top three boats.
LawConnect, currently moving at 2.8 knots, has worked its way back into second place, nudging ahead of SHK Scallywag 100, which is tracking at 1.0 knots. Behind them, Lucky and Palm Beach XI remain well in contention, holding fourth and fifth respectively as the leading pack continues to bunch.
Boat speeds across the front have eased slightly, pointing to a more tactical phase as the fleet settles into its final Tasmanian run. With the top boats so tightly grouped, there is simply no room to relax.
Staying east and pushing out towards open water appears to offer greater speed, and LawConnect is already showing the benefit of that choice, beginning to pick up pace as the strategic picture develops.
