Like Max Verstappen praying for rain, skipper Christian Beck says LawConnect will need anything but easy conditions to snare a third-straight Sydney to Hobart victory.
Despite claiming the line honours title in the last two runnings of the bluewater classic, Beck still maintains the 100ft supermaxi remains a "shitbox" compared to rival Master Lock Comanche.
LawConnect was first across the finish line in Hobart last year after Comanche was forced to retire with mainsail damage early in a harrowing race that claimed two lives in wild weather.
It's in this that Beck readily draws parallels with Formula One heavyweight Verstappen's recent title fight against newly crowned champion Lando Norris.
Verstappen needed a miracle to pull off an unlikely fifth-straight title and eventually had to settle for second to Norris despite winning a tension-filled, season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"We do better when it's difficult. If it's an easy race, we'll almost certainly lose," Beck told AAP.
"When we're against Comanche, it's a little bit like Max Verstappen.
"If he's got a bad car, he wants it to be raining.
"It's like us the last two years - actually, the Sydney-Hobart's the only sport in the world where the shitboxes won.
"Comanche was built a few years later than this boat and it was a copy of the same concept, but it's better in every way.
"It's four tonnes lighter, it's got more sail area.
"Honestly, this is like a submarine, that's more like a spaceship kind of thing.
"If it's difficult (conditions), then our disadvantages against Comanche become less, the more our superior crew tends to help us."
The F1 analogies don't stop with Verstappen, with Beck seeing similarities with the McLaren inter-team duel and LawConnect's on-water rivalry with Comanche.
Comanche - then sailing as Andoo Comanche - had forced LawConnect to dig deep to seal a memorable finish in 2023, with Beck's crew winning by less than a minute.
In the aftermath of his maiden F1 title, McLaren star Norris admitted he wouldn't have been the same driver without beaten teammate Oscar Piastri consistently pushing the limit.
But while Norris paid an emotional tribute to Australian racer Piastri, Beck stopped short.
"Well, yes and no - it was nice last year to have them and then have them drop out," Beck said of the rivalry with Comanche.
"The year before, we were pushing all the way, and that was very challenging.
"It'd be easy without them, to be honest.
"We always keep an eye on them. We're in the same dock.
"And they've been doing pretty well, unfortunately."
LawConnect, one of six 100ft supermaxis contesting the Hobart, will have one final hitout - the less rigorous Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday - before Boxing Day.
On board with Beck is Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, who made his offshore racing debut in the Cabbage Tree Island Race last Friday.
"It's awesome. He's one of my heroes and a good guy to have around," Beck said.
"One of our team members was smart enough to come up with the idea to ask him, and he agreed.
"So far, he's been doing the runners.
"It's funny because they've had him doing the runners, and they've never let me do the runners."
