The two big dogs vying for Syd-Hob glory

Australian sailing great Iain Murray has predicted a classic Sydney to Hobart tussle between the two big dogs of the sailing kennel: comparing one to a great dane, the other a greyhound.

A former regatta director of the America's Cup, Murray is preparing for his maiden voyage aboard Andoo Comanche, one of four 30-metre supermaxi yachts charting a course to Hobart from Sydney Harbour from Boxing Day.

Comanche has blitzed the pre-Hobart events - most recently taking line honours at December's Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour - and Tuesday's long-range weather forecast only underlines her chances.

The other boat best suited to the predicted northerly and northeasterly winds is nine-time line honours champion Hamilton Island Wild Oats - formerly Wild Oats XI - upon which Murray has sailed in 15 previous editions of the race.

"They're completely different boats," Murray, who is Comanche's sailing master for the 2022 race, told AAP.

"We've sort of got a greyhound and a great dane. 

"One of them (Comanche) is an immensely powerful, big, wide boat and the other (Wild Oats) is a sleek, skinny little sprinter that just doesn't have the same power. 

"But it doesn't have the drag, either.

"(Comanche) is probably a harder boat to sail. It's got to be respected because the loads are just enormous. 

"The potential to damage equipment, damage people - you've got to be very careful and tempered."

Wild Oats navigator Stan Honey, who sailed with Comanche on her maiden Sydney to Hobart in 2014, agreed the predicted conditions would favour the supermaxis.

By the time the wind is predicted to shift on December 28, Wild Oats, Comanche, LawConnect and Black Jack are likely to have already made their way up the Derwent River to dock at Kings Pier.

"At this point, it does look like it could be a big boat race. It looks like the big boats will be able to do most of the race in that northeasterly," Honey said.

But despite the favourable conditions, Murray is not expecting any records to tumble this time around.

Andoo Comanche's latest estimates have her on track to complete the race in roughly 36 hours - shy of the line honours record of 33 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds she set in 2017.

"We did some routing runs this morning and they had us finishing at two o'clock in the morning. I know Black Jack's was similar," Murray said.