Alien and Faster Forward in battle for Westcoaster handicap honours

Skipper Justin Brenan and the crew on Alien settling in for the battle ahead Photo Al Dillon

The battle for the handicap win is hotting up in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ Yacht Race.

Alien, the Lidgard 36 skippered by Justin Brenan, has capitalised on the weather conditions overnight, clawing back a third of the gap between handicap rival Faster Forward, the Sydney 38 skippered by Matt Fahey, with just nine nautical miles separating them in the early hours of Monday morning.

While the smaller boats are making up ground, the lighter conditions have proved tough going for the heavier boats particularly early handicap contender Joan Lorraine, the Beneteau Oceanis 46 skippered by Peter Garner, which has struggled to keep up with the fleet in the last few hours.

Matt Setton’s Ker 11.3, The Jackal, is still widely tipped to win line honours with a current lead of seven nautical miles over Faster Forward, but it’s not over yet between these two boats either.

Fahey has sailed the Sydney 38 closer to the rhumb line and is in the strongest position to take advantage of the intricate microclimate subsystems forecast to pass through, but Setton has taken The Jackal further offshore and may pick up slightly better breeze as they approach South West Cape.

Faster Forward in pursuit of The Jackal Photo Al Dillon

This year’s fleet has had an almost dream run down the West Coast of Tasmania with no retirements, but from here until the fleet reaches the docks in Hobart is where tactics, strategy, crew experience and just plain ol’ good luck can make the difference between a handicap win and second place.

With the race poised at a pivotal point, never underestimate one wily skipper and his loyal crew, and that’s Justin Brenan and the crew of Alien.

Brenan has completed the Westcoaster 15 times and has five overall race wins under his belt, including one Eastcoaster, proving his versatility in a boat that was custom-built in Hobart in 1996 to withstand the intensity of the Southern Ocean.

For those new to offshore racing, Brenan can be expected to put on a master class in tactical racing over the next 24 hours.

Brenan shared his thoughts on Alien’s chances prior to the start of this year’s Westcoaster.

“We’ve got an experienced crew who look after each other and just know what to do,” said Brenan.

Sailing on Alien are Michael Noy, Calum Brenan, Ben Tyrrell and Andrew Vincent who each have over ten Westcoasters to their names, and with Glen Cowan, Katrina Hartman and Allison Wetzels also very experienced sailors.

“As a crew we spend a lot of time pre-race looking at weather models and currents, but once we are racing, we use observations out of the hatch to make the most of what we see.

“Since owning Alien I’ve done over 26,000 nautical miles in ten years with largely the same crew, and with 76 Westcoasters between us, we know what to do, we are a well-oiled machine,” said Brenan.

For Alien, crew experience and knowing when to gybe may just be the clincher in this year’s race.

“In light conditions over such a long race, your crew get tired and can make mistakes.

“It’s going to be very competitive and will come down to how well your crew work together.

“Reaching South West Cape … if you set up with the right angle to clear Maatsuyker [Island] … it can be a fast run into Storm Bay, but it’s best to gybe only once, so when you gybe is critical,” said Brenan.

Alien and Faster Forward in a battle for handicap honours in the 2025 Westcoaster Photo credit Al Dillon

But Brenan has the utmost respect for the Faster Forward team which has several race veterans, including Simon Dryden, sailing alongside some first timers.

“Having the depth of crew experience on Faster Forward onboard may make up for any weakness of the newer crew,” said Brenan.

The fleet is currently beating into seven knots of breeze which is predicted to build to 10 knots by late afternoon with the current lending a hand to those boats closer to the shore.

The mood is upbeat onboard Faster Forward with Fahey reporting earlier today that the team is experiencing “beautiful sunny conditions, a good constant breeze, is making good progress, heading towards South West Cape.”

“Spirits are very high, it’s Ken’s [Lunty] birthday today so we’ll celebrate that later in the day, and there have been plenty of whales around us too.

“Our plan is to make the most of the next 20 to 24 hours in what looks like predominantly upwind conditions.”

Fahey has deep respect for Brenan and the crew onboard Alien and is acutely aware that the race can be won or lost in the last 50 nautical miles of the race, sharing his thoughts prior to the race.

“Alien is strong, seasoned, with a solid mature crew and will be a hard one to beat.

“The last 50 nautical miles will be critical - at the bottom of Bruny Island, if we get good weather and winds off the land and avoid the fickle winds of the River [Derwent], we might do well.

“We just need to stay close to The Jackal to give ourselves a chance,” said Fahey.

The Jackal and Faster Forward are expected to reach South West Cape by early evening on Monday, with The Jackal likely to finish around midday on Tuesday.

The fleet is competing for the prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy which will go to the handicap winner on AMS.

Other prizes include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the boat that wins the Heemskerk Trophy, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on performance handicap.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Follow the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race on Blue Water Tracks on: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

2025 Melbourne to Hobart | Race Updates

Follow the Melbourne to Hobart fleet on Blue Water Tracks.

Race Update December 30, 7.30am

View around Maatsuyker Photo Matt Setton

One lesson from this third evening is pretty clear, it pays to keep pushing after dark. For the second night in a row, Vagabond and Joan Lorraine have struggled to find speed overnight, while Alien has once again used the evening hours to close the gap on leading boats.

Throughout the night, The Jackal charted a course closer to shore. But with weaker and more fickle winds there, it hasn't paid off.

Faster Forwards Matt Fahey commented this morning abeam of SE Cape, "It has been a frustratingly slow night across the bottom with very fickle breeze, but there are some promising signs of the breeze filling in this morning"

It's opened the door for Faster Forward, who’s chipped away at the lead and closed the gap down to 8 nautical miles. Alien had an even bigger gain, cutting their deficit to The Jackal in half, sitting now just 15 miles behind.

Those overnight moves have shaken up the standings on the AMS handicap: Alien is now in a very strong leading position, and The Jackal has slipped from second to third, at least for now!

Later today on the Southern coastline, the breeze is expected to build to around 25 knots. With wind coming from behind the boats, this should set up for a fast, exciting run toward the finish, likely with the big downwind sails flying.

Next up is the final test: the run into the Derwent River, where things can change quickly and winds can once again challenge.

Conditions in the Derwent look like a steady 7 to 10 knots with the wind direction oscillating between the south-east and south-west. The first boat currently predicted to arrive late afternoon.

With the leaderboard constantly changing with tacks and different strategies put into play and winds building, it's not a clear win as yet, so keep an eye on the tracker during today https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

Race Update December 29, 8pm (<100nm to go)

The Jackal, the Ker 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton, has done a great job to stay out in front and is the first boat to pass Maatsuyker Island. They’re currently 14nm ahead of the Sydney 38 Faster Forward, who in turn are 13nm ahead of Alien.

Earlier today, Alien looked very strong, at one point sitting just half a mile behind Faster Forward, with Alien struggling to find wind in the middle part of the day. That lull has opened the door for Faster Forward, and The Jackal has been quick to take advantage and extend the lead.

Further back, the heavier boats, Joan Lorraine and Vagabond, have found it tough to keep the speed up in these lighter conditions. Vagabond even headed west, away from the rhumb line, hunting for extra breeze, a gamble that so far doesn’t appear to have paid off.

All boats have spent the day beating into 7–10 knots of wind with winds predicted to lighten further tonight west of South East Cape.

As they pass South East Cape, they should find more stable conditions, setting up a more consistent beat around Bruny Island.

With The Jackal looking to pass South East Cape in the early hours of tomorrow, it's starting to look increasingly likely that they will take line honours with fewer chances left for boats behind to strike back.

As the race enters the final phase, attention now turns to the handicap battle. Based on race management data, current forecasts and past team performance, Alien is indicating a narrow lead with Faster Forward and The Jackal separated by a predicted three minutes on corrected time. With tired crews, any margin could quickly vanish depending on how they manage the deteriorating conditions.

One thing is clear: it’s still anyone’s race, and this last phase could be the most exciting yet. With the first boat predicted to finish tomorrow afternoon, stay tuned for our update tomorrow morning as we review the fleet’s overnight progress and keep an eye on the tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart...

Race Update December 28, 9 am (44 hours in and 160+ nm to the finish)

Overnight, the fleet has slowed as lighter conditions take hold, with the heavier boats feeling it most in recent hours. The Jackal continues to lead, although the gap has tightened to only a seven nautical mile advantage on Faster Forward.

With the breeze now swung to the east and south-east, the fleet is beating into light winds which are expected to build modestly through the afternoon. Navigation and crew work will be critical as they approach South West Cape, with The Jackal currently forecast to arrive in Hobart early hours of December 30th.

Alien has closed the gap between Faster Forward from 14 to 9 nautical miles. It's a well-oiled crew onboard Alien, this four-time overall winning yacht. Never to be underestimated, Brenan relishes the light air, where the less experienced crews may get tired and can make mistakes.

With a low to the East of Tasmania, a high down south of the fleet, and the Tasmanian landmass, microclimate wind shifts will occur, with Faster Forward geographically placed well to take full advantage of them.

With seventy-six Westcoasters between the Alien crew, could it be their superpower to finish the race strong? Keep an eye on the tracker! https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

RACE UPDATE December 28, 8 pm

Boats have been in good breeze all day, but now they face what could be their greatest challenge of the race. Navigating a weak and at times confused wind for the next 12 hours.

The Jackal is entering the dying breeze as we write, which gives trailing boats a brief chance to catch up before they too succumb to the change.

While the wind has remained reliably from the north to north-east throughout the day, providing running angles of around 150 degrees, a rapid shift is now forecast. The breeze is expected to swing east, before rotating further south-east, putting the fleet into oscillating headwinds directly between their current position and their next waypoint.

The race could be won and lost in how well each crew can navigate these complexities, with big gains possible for those who can get in phase with wind shifts and stay in phase into the late morning.

Whilst winds are predicted to die out. They should still have enough to sail with ranges between 3kt and 7kt. It's a debate whether these particular light conditions will favour the lighter, more nimble boats able to stay moving in light winds, or whether the momentum that larger boats can carry through temporary lighter patches will then.

At this stage, the first boat is expected to cross the finish line late afternoon tomorrow.

Keep an eye on the tracker as they approach Hobart https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart...

Race Update | Sunday 28 December 9am

There’s very little separating the fleet on corrected time as they make their way through the “slot” between King Island and the Tasmanian mainland.

Late yesterday, both Vagabond and Joan Lorraine opted for a more westerly route after clearing Port Phillip Heads.

With unfinished business in this race, Peter Garner, skipper of Joan Lorraine, a Beneteau Oceanis 46, is enjoying a strong run, averaging 7+ knots.  “The smooth seas and light breeze overnight made it very comfortable,” Garner said . “The increasing breeze this morning has given us a better pace as it’s backed onto the beam.”

Up front, positions remain unchanged, with Faster Forward still in pursuit of The Jackal, the leader finding a little extra speed overnight to extend a slender five-nautical-mile advantage. Further back, the western gamble taken by Vagabond, the Beneteau First 47.7 skippered by Andrew McConchie, appears to be paying off, with the gap closing to the experienced crew of Alien, now firmly in their sights.

With winds averaging 17 knots from the NNE, tactics will be critical later today as the breeze is forecast to swing more northerly before easing this evening.  

In these early stages, it's anyone's race, so keep an eye on the tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster

Race Start Update | Saturday 27 December 1500hours

The Jackal / Photo by Neville Rose

The 53rd Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster is officially underway, with an exciting and competitive start unfolding on Port Phillip.

At the gun, Faster Forward was slightly early to the line and was recalled to complete a turn, opening the door for The Jackal to surge through and establish an early lead. Quick to recover, Faster Forward hoisted their Code Zero and rapidly closed the gap as the fleet charged toward the first mark. Approaching the rounding, The Jackal, holding a narrow advantage, successfully called for buoy room and led the fleet around the mark, setting the tone for what promises to be a closely fought competition.

The early duel continued as the fleet headed south, with The Jackal—a Kerr 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton—maintaining momentum to become first through the Heads, claiming the Port Phillip Sea Pilots Trophy, just ahead of Faster Forward. With the two rivals closely matched, the battle at the front is shaping up to be one of the highlights of this year’s race.

Smooth sailing and starry skies in 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Sailors have enjoyed smooth sailing conditions across Bass Strait for their first night at sea in the 53rd Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ Yacht Race.

The Jackal is leading the race for line honours in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

The Jackal, a Ker 11.3 skippered by Setton, has maintained their predicted line honours lead, finding a little more speed overnight and now has a few miles on Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38, Faster Forward, in what is shaping up to be an intense battle for line honours.

Race veteran Simon Dryden on the helm of Faster Forward as they hunt down The Jackal in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo supplied by Faster Forward

Fahey, reporting in at 0530 on Sunday morning, said he was happy with his crew’s performance overnight.

“We had a pretty good night all up, we held a Code Zero for a few hours that went pretty well, and after putting up a spinnaker this morning, we are making good progress.

“We had reasonable pressure through the night, a little more than we thought we might have had which was good.

“We are currently abeam of the bottom third of King Island and making our way to our waypoint off the North West of Tassie, probably expecting to be there in another four to four and a half hours.

“We had a very pleasant night at sea, it wasn’t overly cold, and we had a half-moon for most of the night and incredible stars which we haven’t seen a lot of over the last few years.

“Overall, we are pretty comfortable with where we are sitting,” said Fahey.

In what is always a game of tactics and strategy, course choice around King Island can make or break a boat’s chances of success in this race.

 Alien (L) and Faster Forward (R) will be battling it out all the way to Hobart in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

Justin Brenan, skipper of the Lidgard 36 Alien, talking before the race, considers this a pivotal point in the race, so time will tell whether he has put the boat where it needs to be for a chance of another handicap win.

“First, you’ve got to get across Bass Strait which is generally windward work and the strategy and timing to pass between Tasmania and King Island is critical, because if you time it right, you set yourself up for a win.

“You can lose 10 to 15 miles if the timing is wrong which is difficult to make up,” said Brenan.

All is well onboard Joan Lorraine as the sun rises on Day Two of the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo supplied by Joan Lorraine

Joan Lorraine and Vagabond both took a more westerly route than the rest of the fleet which appears to have paid off for Vagabond, with the Beneteau First 47.7 making ground on Alien which sailed much closer to the rhumb line.

Joan Lorraine is having a fantastic race with skipper Peter Garner and his crew sailing the boat well in steady 7+ knot winds and enjoying the warmth on the water.

“It’s all good onboard.

“We had smooth seas and a light breeze overnight which made for very comfortable sailing.

“The increasing breeze this morning has given us better pace … and the sun’s up so we’re all a little warmer,” said Garner.

Joan Lorraine is having a great race so far in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

The Joan Lorraine crew is looking to make up for the disappointment from last year’s race where they retired after experiencing boom damage.

The Jackal is expected to cross 41 degrees south around midday today with all boats expected to pass by dinner time.

Race Director David Schuller is predicting dynamic conditions for the fleet’s run down the West Coast to Hobart.

“Current wind conditions are averaging 17 knots from the north-north east and later in the day the forecast is for the the wind to move from north-east towards the north, which will provide consistent downwind sailing for all boats,” said Schuller.

A light patch is forecast to reach the boats when they are about 30 nautical miles north of Hells Gates early evening which will spread West and South from there, giving a lighter path of between four and nine knots until 10am tomorrow.

“With the wind expected to abate this evening, navigation for the boats is predicted to be tricky,” said Schuller.

On current forecasts, Schuller expects The Jackal to arrive in Hobart the evening of December 30th.

The fleet is competing for the prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy which will go to the handicap winner on AMS.

Other prizes include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the boat that wins the Heemskerk Trophy, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on performance handicap.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Follow the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race on Blue Water Tracks on: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster 

The Jackal sets the pace in 53rd Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

The summer sailing gods were certainly smiling over Portsea Pier today with the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race fleet lining up under azure skies on crystal clear waters for the start of the race down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart.

The fleet started the 53rd Westcoaster in a southerly breeze of 10 knots in ideal conditions for the fleet.

In stark contrast to the challenging wave state experienced by the Cock of the Bay fleet on Boxing Day, today’s conditions were a welcome relief for the sailors with weather models starting to align, forecasting stable weather patterns for the duration of the race.

The Jackal approaching the rounding mark before exiting Port Phillip Heads to claim the Port Phillip Sea Pilot’s Trophy / Photo by Al Dillon

As anticipated in the race preview, The Jackal, a Ker 11.3 skippered by Matt Setton from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, would set the pace early being first across the line, giving a boost to Setton’s confidence sailing his first Westcoaster as skipper.

Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien and Andrew McConchie’s Beneteau First 47.7 Vagabond were hot on the heels of The Jackal as the fleet headed towards the first mark.

Faster Forward is farewelled by spectators in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38, Faster Forward, copped an individual recall for a little too much energy on the start line but was soon hunting down their archrival, The Jackal, and after setting their Code Zero, quickly made-up ground.

Joan Lorraine, the Beneteau Oceanis 46 skippered by Peter Garner from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, was close behind.

The Jackal held off Faster Forward at the first mark, asserting buoy room to be first around and claiming the Port Phillip Sea Pilot’s Trophy for first boat through Port Phillip Heads.

A tough duel is predicted between these two boats for the rest of the race.

The race day weather forecast was music to the ears of skippers and race newcomers with a high-pressure system giving rise to a stable weather pattern for the entire race, a welcome departure from the forecast earlier in the week which was predicting a low-pressure system to cause challenging conditions for the fleet.

Prevailing winds of 10 to 20 knots with a prediction that they will see no more than 30 knots of wind and 2-metre swells, will make for relatively smooth sailing conditions down the West Coast and into the Southern Ocean.

The crew of The Jackal cruising at 8-12 knots outside Port Phillip Heads / Photo by Matt Setton

Tactics and strategy are always key points of difference across the Westcoaster fleet and while the weather patterns look stable, the outcome of critical decision-making could be the key.

A wind transition zone is expected off Strahan, near Hells Gates, with a large lighter patch developing, offering skippers and navigators a tactical decision as to whether they go further offshore in search of more wind or sail closer to the shore looking for katabatic breeze.

The fleet is competing for the prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy which will go to the handicap winner on AMS.

Other prizes include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the boat that wins the Heemskerk Trophy, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on performance handicap.

The Westcoaster is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Phillip to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nautical mile passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nautical miles south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape, then turning northeast through the challenging waters of Storm Bay and then the fickle conditions of the River Derwent.

The monohull race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008.

Follow the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race on Blue Water Tracks on: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster 

The Melbourne to Hobart "Westcoaster" Yacht Race is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania

Discover Tasmania (www.discovertasmania.com) / #discovertasmania / @Tasmania