Mustafa Ingham and his Infotrack team-mates remained locked in a tight battle for the J H Illingworth Trophy at the halfway stage of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race yesterday.

Last night Christian Beck’s 100-foot yacht was shown in third in the race for line honours, some 272.3 nautical miles from the finish line in Hobart, Tasmania, behind fellow super maxis Black Jack and leader and race record holder Comanche. In fourth is Wild Oats XI.

Only five nautical miles separate the four remaining super maxis in the fleet heading down the final stretch in the closest contest in the 73-year history of the race.

The J H Illingworth Trophy is awarded to the yacht that claims line honours in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical-mile classic widely regarded as one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

The 21-year-old Ingham is making his offshore racing debut in the iconic race having obtained his offshore yachtmaster status after completing an apprenticeship at the Volvo Ocean Race Academy last summer.

“It’s most definitely the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m honoured but also humbled to be a part of such a star-studded team,” said Ingham, who competed for Team Bermuda in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in the Great Sound last year, on the eve of the race.

“It’s a great learning experience being able to sail and get information from the best sailors in the world and to be able to call them my team-mates.”

Beck’s yacht won the race from Sydney, New South Wales, to Hobart, Tasmania, under its former name Perpetual Loyal in what was then a record time of 1 day, 13hr 31min 20sec, as well as the 2008 and 2010 Newport Bermuda Races under its original name Speedboat.

Of the 94 yachts that set sail in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Race from Sydney Harbour under sunny skies and 10-12 knot breezes on Boxing Day, four have since retired. As well as line honours, there are thirteen other titles up for grabs on handicap.