Comanche (yacht)
Comanche is a 100 ft (33 m) maxi yacht. She was designed in France by VPLP and Guillaume Verdier and built in the United States by Hodgdon Yachts for Dr. James H. Clark.
![]() 'Comanche at the start of the 2015 transatlantic race | |
Class | 100 Supermaxi |
---|---|
Designer(s) | VPLP and Guillaume Verdier |
Builder | Hodgdon Yachts |
Specifications | |
Type | Monohull |
Length | 33 m (108.27 ft) |
Beam | 7.85 m (25.75 ft) |
Draft | 6.81 m (22.34 ft) |
Comanche held the 24-hour sailing record for monohulls[1] until May 2023,[2] covering 618 nmi, for an average of 25.75 knots or 47.69 kmh/h. The boat won line honours in the 2015 Fastnet race and the 2015 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, under the leadership of skipper Ken Read.[3] In 2017, Comanche set a new Transpac record, covering 484.1 nmi in 24 hours, for an average speed of 20.2 knots (37.4 km/h).[4] In 2019, under navigator Stan Honey, the yacht won the 2225-mile 50th Transpacific Yacht Race, with a time of 5 days 11 hours 14 minutes 05 seconds.[5] Comanche won the 2017 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, with a time of 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes 24 seconds, a record that still stands today.
At 5 days 14 hours 21 minutes 25 seconds, Comanche holds the Monohull Transatlantic sailing record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, which they achieved on July 28, 2016.[6]
In December 2017, Comanche was sold to Australian Jim Cooney,[7] and was renamed to LDV Comanche, as part of a one-time sponsorship from SAIC Maxus Automotive Co's LDV brand. The yacht later returned to its original, unsponsored title of Comanche. Under this name it won the Sydney-Hobart race again in 2019 in 1 day 18 hours and 30 minutes.
Soon after the completion of the 2019 Sydney-Hobart race, Comanche was reportedly sold to a Russian interest group.[8] Details of the sale have not been disclosed as of yet.
References
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- WSSR 253
- Crosbie Lorimer (2016-12-26). "tour of supermaxi Comanche". Yachting World.
- John Rousmaniere; Talbot Wilson (2016-06-19). "Comanche set Bermuda Race Record". Scuttlebutt Sailing News.
- Murray, Jo. "TRANSPAC 2019: Barn Door Winner". Gazettes. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- "Comanche Crushes Transatlantic Record". 2016-07-28.
- "Comanche finds new owner Down Under". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 2017-12-14.
- "Comanche sold after Sydney Hobart win". 2020-09-04.