<h2>Master Lock Comanche and URM Group Emerge as Sydney to Hobart Favourites – Three Point Summary:</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>- &nbsp; Master Lock Comanche defeated defending champions LawConnect in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour.</p> <p>- &nbsp; URM Group claimed Overall victory in the Australian Maxi Championships with four consecutive race wins.</p> <p>- &nbsp; Both victories position the teams as strong contenders for the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starting Boxing Day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Comanche Claims Line Honours Championship Victory</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Master Lock Comanche delivered a commanding performance in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, comprehensively defeating two-time defending Line Honours champions LawConnect.</p> <p>The victory by James Mayo and Matt Allen's crew cemented their status as favourites for the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which begins on Boxing Day.</p> <p>Mayo expressed his team's determination following last year's heartbreaking withdrawal due to a torn mainsail during the opening night of the race.</p> <p>"We've put a lot of work into this program over a number of training camps and they've been very successful," Mayo said. "It was brutal last year; we had a great team. We were incredibly well prepared... suddenly, bang, it was all over."</p> <p>The 100-footer secured the Line Honours Division in the Australian Maxi Championship by winning four of the five legs sailed across five days. Mayo emphasised his crew's focus on their own performance rather than getting caught up in rivalries, particularly with LawConnect.</p> <p>"Competition's great, isn't it? The more competition, the better," Mayo noted. "But our job is just to focus on our boat, our crew and do what we do best."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>URM Group Dominates Overall Division</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>URM Group delivered an exceptional performance in the Overall Division of the Australian Maxi Championships, with owners Anthony and David Johnston and skipper Marcus Ashley-Jones demolishing the competition.</p> <p>The Reichel/Pugh Maxi 72 secured four consecutive race victories, marking them as genuine contenders for the coveted Tattersall Cup awarded to the Overall Sydney Hobart winner.</p> <p>No Limit and Moneypenny finished tied for second place in the Championship standings, highlighting URM Group's dominance throughout the series.</p> <p>Anthony Johnston expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance after a challenging previous season.</p> <p>"We lost our mast last season, so we started this season a bit slow," Johnston explained. "Then we started to get used to the rig. So now we're starting to come good at the right time."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Family Affair Sets Stage for Hobart Challenge</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Johnston will embark on this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race alongside his four brothers David, Nick, Andrew and Nigel, adding a personal dimension to their championship aspirations.</p> <p>"I think it'd be great to win. It's a privilege to sail with them in the first place," Johnston said. "I love doing Hobart with my brothers, so it's an absolute privilege. So, to get a win would just be really special."</p> <p>The Australian Maxi Championships served as crucial preparation for the Boxing Day classic, with both Comanche and URM Group demonstrating the form that makes them serious threats in their respective divisions.</p> <p>With the 80th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race approaching, these championship victories have established clear favourites while setting up compelling storylines for Australia's premier sailing event.</p> <p>The combination of Comanche's redemption quest and URM Group's family-driven campaign promises exciting competition when the fleet departs Sydney Harbour on 26 December.</p>