For owner Tony Bell this victory brought a lot of satisfaction: his Australian "Perpetual Loyal" won the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2016 and set an impressive new course record. After two annoying defeats in a row, Bell's team was able to turn the tables on this edition and after 628 nautical miles in a new best time of 1 day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds, they secured the "Line Honors" for the fastest boat at the finish.
At the extremely speedy gala performance, owner Bell and the Australian laser Olympic champion Tom Slingsby shared the steering wheel. The old record of the permanent rival "Wild Oats XI", who was eliminated with material damage in this edition, pushed Bell's men down by 4 hours, 51 minutes and 52 seconds. After the disappointments of the past few years, hardly any "Perpetual Loyal" believed this breakthrough. The boat - once built as the designated fastest super maxi for endurance victories - hadn't been able to convince under any of its previous names, neither as a "Speedboat", as a "Rambler" and initially not as a "Perpetual Loyal". But now, after completing the tasks in 2014 and 2015, the team has achieved the long-awaited triumph in every respect.
Imposing scenes, impressive speeds and highlights from the long-distance classic Down Under
"This is a victory for everyone who has persistently believed in us," said Anthony Bell after arriving in Hobart. "We worked hard for it. So many people believed in it. We came back, tried again, and that paid off. " Bell had initially not wanted to take part in the race himself, but the crew had closed and successfully tried to do so.
The eight-time "Line Honors" winner "Wild Oats XI" had to give up this time due to problems with the hydraulic cylinder of the keel mechanics
As the eighth boat in the fleet (as it stood on Tuesday at 8 p.m. German time), Jens Kellinghusens is expected to be a little more than half the size of Ker 56 "VarunVI" in the destination port of Hobart on Wednesday night. After a calculated time, the German team can sail into the top five in the battle for the coveted Tattersall's Cup.
Jens Kellinghusen's "VarunVI" crew is fighting for a place in the top five according to calculated time in the 72nd Rolex Sydney Hobart Race