Quest bags handicap honours in Hobart

The so-called real Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the battle for handicap honours, was
securely in Sydney skipper Bob Steel's bag after his 52-foot yacht Quest docked in
Hobart on Sunday afternoon.
Quest arrived at Constitution Dock 4.5 hours after Wild Oats XI, piloted by
skipper-for-hire Mark Richards, took line honours for a record fourth consecutive
time.
With his boat coming in at half Wild Oats XI's length, owner/skipper Steel said his
16th Hobart race had been "a fantastic sleigh ride".
"It looks like we could do quite well on handicap," was his demure estimate.
"Now we've just got to wait for the big result.
"This Sydney to Hobart was very kind to us, probably the easiest race I've done, but
there were parts you wished you were somewhere else.
"We've got so much experience on the boat, around 160 Hobarts between us, and we've
got a very good yacht, one of the leading TP52s in Australia."
It will be Steel's second overall win in the annual ocean classic.
He now has a not-so nervous night's wait to see if he has won again.
Only Secret Mens Business 3, Pale Ale Rager, and Ragtime could spring an unlikely
upset over Quest.
Ragtime would have been a popular winner after going to the aid of sinking yacht
Georgia and its crew on Friday.