7:27 PM Mon 28 Dec 2009 GMT
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'ICAP Leopard passes John Garrow light at 0525 this morning'
Peter Campbell ©
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With another brilliant sunrise over her stern, Mike Slade's British yacht ICAP Leopard became only the third yacht to so far finish the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when she sailed serenely up the River Derwent and across the finish line at Castray Esplanade at 05:45 this morning.
In contrast to the flotilla of about 80 boats that escorted line honours winner Alfa Romeo up the river to finish just after ten o'clock last evening, just one small power accompanied the 100-footer as she sailed past the John Garrow Shoal beacon off Lower Sandy Bay about 5.20pm, with the sun yet to rise over Bruny Island to the south.
At that stage no other yacht was in the river. In fact, the only river traffic since ICAP Leopard has been an orange-hulled Antarctic supply ship returning from Macquarie Island, which passed the Garrow just before 6am.
With an elapsed time of 02:16:45:46 ICAP Leopard joins Alfa Romeo (elapsed time 02:09:02:10) and Wild Oats XI (02:11:05:34) as the three yachts to have so far finished the 628 nautical mile race that started from Sydney on
Boxing Day.
Nearest to the Iron Pot at 0600 was Investec Loyal, with just one mile to sail to enter the River Derwent for the final 11 nautical miles. Four miles south-west of Cape Raoul came the British yacht Ran, followed by Ichi Ban and Yuuzoo.
by Peter Campbell
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Manly, QLD
