Veteran skipper David Witt has declared the 2023 Sydney to Hobart will be his and SHK Scallywag's last chance to finally win the race.
And a favourable weather forecast has left Witt believing that his 27th and last crack could push him to his best result yet.
One of four 100ft supermaxis fighting for line honours, Scallywag has undergone significant modifications since last racing the Hobart in 2021, notably shedding 500kg of weight in her mast.
She returned to the water in October and most recently competed at the Cabbage Tree Island Race and Big Boat Challenge earlier in December, crossing the line third in both.
But Scallywag's 18-month hiatus has made her an unknown quantity for rival supermaxis Andoo Comanche, LawConnect and Wild Thing 100, and a dark horse for line honours.
The 2023 Hobart will be the Hong Kong-based Scallywag's fourth attempt at crossing the line first, with two third-placed finishes in 2016 and 2021 marking her best results so far.
Witt, who has previously sailed the Hobart with Ragamuffin and Nokia, has had to wait even longer than that for a taste of glory.
"We've never been in better shape. This is our last go, the boat's from Hong Kong obviously," Witt said.
"The boat goes on a ship to Europe next year and we won't be back.
"This is 27 (27th race) for me and my last go. I've never won, so the boss and the team and everyone is as good as we can be. I just hope we're good enough."
The race-day weather forecast revealed light easterly winds for the start on Sydney Harbour at 1pm, followed by thunderstorms likely to break out on the NSW coast.
Better-suited to lighter air than her 100ft rivals, Scallywag couldn't have asked for better conditions, provided she can avoid a repeat of the sail damage suffered early in the 2021 race.
"The weather for the first 15 hours is perfect for us," Witt said of the 2023 forecast.
"Last race we were first out of the heads then broke, so hopefully this year we can be first out of the heads and not break.
"In this race I think (a fast start) is going to be more important than normally because of the light easterly.
"If you can get out first and get a little bit of a jump, it'll make a big difference. There's not going to be a lot of passing lines for the first few hours.
"I have a bit of a feeling we might be a bit of a rabbit getting hunted for the rest of the race after this afternoon."
