SYDNEY-TO-HOBART BOATS TO WATCH:
LINE HONOURS
* LDV COMANCHE - Recently bought by Australian Jim Cooney from American Jim Clark, the 2015 line honours winner is the downwind flyer of this year's fleet and will be the boat to beat in what look set to be favourable conditions.
* WILD OATS XI - Failed to finish the last two years, the eight-time line honours-winning supermaxi is competitive in all conditions but will struggle to stay with LDV Comanche in strong winds.
* INFOTRACK - Last year's race record-setting line honours winner returns under a new name and new owner, with Olympic gold medallists Tom Slingsby and Iain Jensen in the crew, but it's probably the outsider among the four supermaxis.
* BLACK JACK - Peter Harburg joined the supermaxi club by buying 2009 line honours winner Alfa Romeo and making it his latest Black Jack, a strong light-winds performer that's unlikely to see enough of those in this race.
* BEAU GESTE - The boat perhaps most likely to capitalise in the highly unlikely case of all four supermaxis faltering or hitting trouble but looms as a big-boat contender for overall honours.
HANDICAP HONOURS
* ICHI BAN - The newest boat in the fleet, Matt Allen's recently launched yacht has notched some impressive results and is perhaps the pick of a powerful TP52 contingent contesting the race.
* MASCALZONE LATINO 32 - This very well-performed Italian Cookson 50 boasts a string of excellent results during the past two years and looms as the major overseas contender for a handicap win.
* QUEST - A two-time overall winner in 2008 and 2015 and the winner of IRC division one last year, this TP52 is on loan from Paul Clitheroe to former owner Bob Steel and should be up there again.
* PATRICE - Retired three times in its four Sydney-to-Hobarts, Patrice is due some luck and its good form in recent months suggests this could be the year this Ker 46 boat finally fulfils its potential.
* BANQUE DE NOUVELLE CALEDONIA - Perhaps the best prospect in the unlikely case of s small boat win this year, this New Caledonian boat has form in the race, having finished second overall in its one previous start two years ago.
