Master Lock Comanche's co-skippers have scoffed at claims from their nearest Sydney to Hobart rival that they are doing nothing to help their supermaxi's success on the water.
LawConnect owner Christian Beck told AAP in the lead-up to Boxing Day that he was a "sailing bullshitter" who contributed nothing practical towards his boat's line honours triumph last year.
The tech mogul doubled down on Christmas Eve and accused Comanche's new co-skippers Matt Allen and James Mayo of co-opting his laissez-faire tactics in a bid to snatch the John H Illingworth Cup back.
"I'm actually pretty pissed off with these two skippers from Comanche," Beck joked on Tuesday.
"They've copied my strategy from last year because last year I did nothing and let the pro crew do it and we won the race.
"These guys, in all the lead-up races, they're doing nothing either and they've been winning all the lead-up races. It's a bit frustrating."
The comments left Allen and Mayo out at sea.
Mayo, a hardware tycoon by day, has won two sailing world championships in the Etchells class - most recently alongside Comanche crew mates Richie Allanson and Graeme Taylor earlier this year.
Allen, meanwhile, is preparing for his 32nd Sydney to Hobart this year and famously skippered 52-footer Ichi Ban to all three of her handicap wins in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
No boat has won more handicap victories in 78 previous editions of the race.
Also a world champion, Allen insisted he and Mayo would take a hands-on approach to Comanche's push for line honours.
"I don't know what (Beck) does but we're actually really actively involved," Allen told AAP.
"We steer the boat, James does the runners as well so we're involved in steering, running the boat. I don't know what Christian does but he's never been on our boat so he doesn't see what we do.
"We've individually won world championships. I'm not sure how many world championships he's won. Probably zero."
Mayo questioned whether Beck had been trying to play mind games with his comments.
"I actually don't know what he's talking about," he told AAP.
"If he's thinks that's going to have some sort of affect on us, it's got zero."
Arguably the most impressive monohull yacht in the world, Comanche enters the Hobart as the hot favourite for line honours and appears primed to make the best of a heavy, downwind start.
She placed second to LawConnect on line honours by only 51 seconds last year under previous skipper John Winning Jr, but expectations will not weigh on Mayo and Allen in 2024.
"I'm not feeling any pressure at all," Mayo said.
"We've had a good build-up with great results in all the racing that we've done. We've got a world-class crew.
"It's just another yacht race. It's just about following the process and the outcome will always look after itself."
