Carlos Hernández and Sinbad Quiroga: this is how they experienced their triumph in the Sidney-Hobart
The victory for Christian Beck’s Australian maxi ‘LawConnect’ at the 78th Rolex Sydney-Hobart has had two spanish protagonists in his crew: Carlos Hernández from Lanzarote and Sinbad Quiroga from Majorerowho have inscribed their names for the first time in the record of the legendary regatta.
At 36 years old, Arrecife sailor Carlos Hernández Robayna already had an extensive track record in ocean sailing. It was his fourth Sydney-Hobart and he had known the bitter taste of defeat against the ‘Comanche’ in 2019 and 2022, being second.
Perhaps for this reason, he pointed out upon arrival that “Having beaten the ‘Comanche’ and, especially, having done so over the finish line has been very special and very exciting.”
The fight that they maintained from the start in Sydney with their rival for 44 hours was spectacular and very hard because, as he explained, they knew that They had to sail to the open sea far from the coastbut they did not think, he adds, that they were going to have a strong storm for almost 36 hours, although this worked in their favor, he said.
Beating the ‘Comanche’ over the finish line was very special and very exciting.”
He added that in more stable wind conditions the ‘Comanche’, which is faster, “He would have gone ahead and having reached the River Derwent almost together allowed us to deliver that final blow. For less than a minute!”
The sailor began competing at a very young age and his opportunity in top competition came with the IMS 500 ‘Puerto Calero’, later moving on to the GP52 and RC44 classes, and being the first Lanzarote native to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race, in the ranks of the Spanish ‘Mapfre’ in the 2014-2015 edition.
He was one of the key men in the successes of Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 and was part of the crew of the spectacular Swan 125 ‘Skorpios’, commanded by Fernando Echávarri, winning the 2021 Fasnet Race.
Next to him, at Law Connect was Sinbad Quiroga, 27 years old, born in Fuerteventura, son of the legendary Quino Quiroga and who made his debut in the event. This year he already debuted in The Ocean Race, but the victory has been something incredible for him because, as he pointed out, “It has been fantastic to come to Australia for the first time, compete and win this legendary event.”
“The best thing has been being able to be on board with Carlos (Hernández). SWe knew that the ‘Comanche’ was faster than us, but that if we managed to pressure him and attack at the right moment we would have a chance, and so it was.. In this regatta I have learned a lot,” he concluded.
This victory has been very special for the owner and helmsman of ‘LawConnect’, the 46-year-old Australian computer entrepreneur Christian Beck, who removed the thorn of his defeats against Comanche (2019 and 2022) and the three second places in the last three editions.
It has been fantastic to come to Australia for the first time, compete and win this legendary event
This was the second victory for ‘LawConnect’ at Sydney Hobart. In 2016 as ‘Perpetual Loyal’ it won under Anthony Bell and Beck acquired it in 2017 and called it ‘InfoTrack’.
Very excited, he explained that he still can’t believe the result: “It was honestly a dream come true. In reality, I never thought it was possible.”
“They They took the lead pretty close to the finish line and we thought there was no way to get it back., but a gust of wind came and it happened. It was a complete surprise and the nerves on board were unleashed, there were crew members who couldn’t even see it,” he concluded.
