After an ideal start with downwind conditions pushing the yachts south towards Hobart, remaining skippers are set to face adverse and stormy conditions as a cold front crosses Tasmania and the Bass Strait. 

A fast downwind run under summery northeasterly winds saw super maxi yacht Andoo Comanche win the race with a time of 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds, arriving into Hobart in the early hours of the morning. 

Most smaller boats still crossing the Bass Strait and along the east coast of Tasmania are seeing favourable northerly winds shift to strong to near gale west to southwesterly winds as a frontal system crosses the region (as seen in the image below). Showers, with the risk of some storms later in the day, will also reduce sailing visibility as the yachts approach the Apple Isle.

Himawari satellite imagery overlaid with winds and locations of the yachts at around 1pm on Wednesday. 

A surge of southwesterly winds approaching gale force over southern Tasmania, tending southerly along the east coast this afternoon (as seen in the image below) will make navigation around the Tasman Peninsula into the Derwent River treacherous and a torment of tacks to make upwind progress. Luckily, this unfavourable wind will ease overnight and become more moderate tomorrow morning before tending to a more favourable east to northeasterly direction in the afternoon and evening.

Access-C winds showing 30-35 knot southwesterly winds blowing against the fleet on Wednesday afternoon.