Distinguished American sailor Chris Larson has returned to the Sydney-Hobart race despite cheerfully admitting the only way is down.
Larson, a multiple world championship winner and 1997 Rolex yachtsman of the year, will be aboard the 70-foot Wizard which, campaigning as Giacomo last year, had earned the coveted Tattersall Cup awarded to the overall winner.
In an unusual and rare situation for the race, both the defending line and handicap honours champions have changed owners and names.
Anthony Bell sold his 2016 supermaxi line honours winner to Christian Beck, who renamed it InfoTrack.
New Zealand's Jim Delegat has sold Giacomo to American brothers David and Peter Askew, who have successfully campaigned another slightly longer boat called Wizard.
Several members of that program will sail alongside a number of the old Giacomo crew in this year's race.
The latest Wizard returned to competition mode in last weekend's Trophy Series races in Sydney.
Some of her crew returned to the United States but would be back in Australia a few days before the Boxing Day start of the Sydney-Hobart.
The sailing master aboard Wizard, Larson has contested and performed well in many major sailing competitions, including the America's Cup and Admiral's Cup.
He was part of the Assa Abloy crew which took Sydney to Hobart line honours in 2001, when it contested the event as part of the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race.
"I jokingly said there's no reason ever to come back because all you can do is get second after that," Larson told AAP.
"But this was too good of an opportunity."
History suggests the odds are heavily weighted against achieving back-to-back handicap wins in the Hobart classic.
No boat has done it since Freya won three in a row between from 1963.
"The hardest thing to do is repeat a victory when you've already won something in any situation," Larson said.
"We've got big shoes to fill trying to live up to what they were able to achieve last year."
Wizard is one of a record 28 overseas entrants for this year's race.
