An owner's eager wife, a rival's absence and some on-the-run repair work revived the hopes of damaged boat Comanche which now looks set to take line honours in the Sydney to Hobart.
Chief designer Xavier Guilbaud revealed details of the day-one disaster that initially prompted the 100-footer to turn back to Sydney.
"They hit something and the port dagger board split in two and came off and as it passed by the rudder it took part of the rudder which affected the steering system," Guilbaud told AAP in Hobart on Monday.
At the time the supermaxi had a lead of 12 nautical miles over nearest challenger Rambler, which she sacrificed when she turned back to Sydney, presuming her race was over.
But sailing master Casey Smith went in the water to look at the rudder and cut free a damaged section.
"They managed to fix the steering system," said Guilbaud, who was consulted throughout the repairs.
"Everything broken was on the port side so steering on starboard was not good.
"But I think they've managed to do as much port tacking as possible."
There were no safety issues and the boat's ongoing speed was not impeded, so the decision was taken to keep racing, the France-based designer said.
He added that the influence of Kristy Hinze-Clark, model and the Australian wife of owner Jim Clark, is likely to have played a part in the decision to keep racing.
"Kristy Clark is on board also and it's her first race and yes, I think she would have been keen to keep going," Guilbaud said.
The earlier retirement of defending champion Wild Oats XI, which in 2014 beat Comanche on her Sydney to Hobart debut, could have also encouraged the team to push on.
"It probably made the crew on board Comanche think 'if Wild Oats isn't here, we're in with a good chance'."
Clark has said he won't enter Comanche in the Sydney to Hobart 2016, with the time and cost of bringing the boat from America too prohibitive.
In which case the billionaire businessman will have been keen to make the most of this opportunity.
Comanche chased down Rambler early on Sunday afternoon and has held the lead since.
Late on Monday afternoon she rounded Tasman Island with 40 nautical miles to travel to the Constitution Dock finish line, where she is expected about 9pm (AEDT).
