After a few brief days of sea trials in Newport, Rhode Island, East Boothbay-built Comanche set sail Oct. 30 for Charleston, South Carolina, the first leg of the passage to Sydney, Australia.

The weather in Newport during the sea trials and for the offshore passage south was anything but glorious, but by all accounts, the boat is already starting to deliver impressive performances.

Although Comanche's performance data is still being kept under wraps, racing skipper Ken Read has been wearing a rather broad smile lately.

The 100-foot, pre-preg carbon racing wonder was launched at Hodgdon's shipyard in East Boothbay just a few short weeks ago.

“All of us at Hodgdon are proud to have been associated with this important build, and we wish Jim, Kristy, Kenny and the entire crew all the best for Sydney-Hobart and all of their racing ventures,” Hodgdon CEO Tim Hodgdon said.

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