Anthony Bell has made a winning return to top-level offshore racing, skippering his 100-foot maxi Tribeca LOYAL to a line-honours victory in Saturday's 83-nautical-mile Bird Island Race off Sydney, ahead of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The two-time Sydney Hobart line-honours winner took control of the fourth round of the 2026/27 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore after a slow start in light conditions.
The race, from Sydney Harbour to Norah Head and back, saw URM Group and Moneypenny establish an early advantage before Tribeca LOYAL found her pace as the sea breeze strengthened.
It took Bell's crew around one hour and 50 minutes to overhaul the leaders while sailing north between Mona Vale and Newport. From that point, the 100-footer was never headed.
Tribeca LOYAL, formerly the celebrated maxi Comanche, crossed the finish line in six hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds, finishing at 17:12:42.
Bell Praises Crew After First Race Outing
Bell was delighted with the performance of the yacht and crew on their first competitive outing.
“Yeah, it was a great performance,” Bell said. “It was the end of our first block. So, coming off eight days of training, that was our sort of finish to stretch the legs properly. “We couldn't be more delighted. Boat was sharp. The teamwork was unbelievable. Obviously a slow start to the race, but once the breeze started kicking, we woke up a fair bit up there.”
Hobart Bound: Anthony Bell's Tribeca LOYAL heels under a towering headsail off Sydney, delivering an impressive racing comeback ahead of a planned showdown with InfoTrack, Palm Beach XI and Wild Thing 100 in December's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Photo: Ashley Dart
Bell said the yacht recorded a top speed of approximately 25.5 knots in winds reaching around 18 knots.
“Our top boat speed we recorded about 25 and a half knots, which was pretty good. Our wind speeds probably topped out at about 18 knots. It was really cool.”
Preparations Turn to Sydney Hobart
The team will now use lessons from the race to refine the yacht's configuration before resuming training later in November.
“So now we go back, do some more configuration work on the boat from what we learned today, and then we go to rest for about 10 days in terms of crew training, then we come back together again.”
Bell's next scheduled outing is the Cabbage Tree Island Race on 4th December, followed by the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on 8th December.
Full Power: Tribeca LOYAL's enormous black headsail drives the 100-foot maxi through the waves during the Bird Island Race, where Anthony Bell's crew recorded speeds of up to 25.5 knots on their way to line honours. Photo: Ashley Dart
Both events are important preparations for the 81st Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, starting on St Stephen's Day.
The line honours contest is expected to feature Christian Beck's InfoTrack, Palm Beach XI (formerly Wild Oats XI), skippered by Mark Richards, and Wild Thing 100.
Joining Bell aboard Tribeca LOYAL for the Sydney Hobart will be sailing master Tom Slingsby, alongside former rugby international Phil Waugh, rugby league star Anthony Minichiello and champion surfer Layne Beachley.
The Bird Island victory provides an encouraging early indication of the maxi's potential as Bell prepares for another assault on one of offshore sailing's most prestigious prizes.
