Wild Oats leads the fleet out of the Harbour

by Rob Kothe on 26 Dec 2005 Not a spinnaker start to the race as the wind is from the north east, blowing eight knots; the gun is fired and the fleet is away in the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart race!

Wild Oats had a blazing start, hitting the cline with perfect timing right on the pin. Inside her was Konica Minolta, then Hugo Boss and Alfa Romeo and AAPT. Skandia was midline, coming through from the the back row.

Looking right across the fleet Wild Oats was leading in the front row, she soon sailed right over the top of Konica Minolta, Alfa Romeo was abeam of AAPT, and Skandia was lifting coming across.

Coogans Stores (the 66 footer formerly AAPT) and the Open 60 Hugo Boss fell off the back.

Wild Oats led the fleet past the first Wedding Cake. Skandia was pointing much higher as she headed down the Harbour. AAPT doubled tacked for clear air.

As they approached the Sow and Pigs, Wild Oats was two boat lengths clear of Alfa Romeo - a battle royal already. Konica Minolta tacked away and crossed behind Coogans Stores, Skandia was soon on the southern shore.

Wild Oats was maintaining a two boats length lead over Alfa Romeo, AAPT was six boat lenghths back, and Skandia was looking slow on the southern shore.

Behind the lead pack Coogans Stores was abeam of Konica Minolta. As they passed the red mark and headed toward the separation mark, Wild Oats was still two boat lengths ahead, her red shirted crew packed tightly on the rail.

Skandia, on the southern shore just doesn't have the pressure the two leaders were enjoying. It will be be a close race to see if she can could beat AAPT out of the Harbour.

Konica Minolta was a boat length behind AAPT and Skandia was sliding along the edge of the spectator buoys with little pressure.

At the sea mark, Wild Oats had the inside line, but Alfa Romeo coming wide and had made up significant ground. The spectator fleet 'wash' was turning a flat sea into a washing mashing. Behind them, Skandia was in third place, about eight boat lengths back, then AAPT behind her.

Konica Minolta, made a mess of her approach to the seamark, she fell away inshore and had to tack towards the mark. In the heavy chop she was slow and rounded only half a boat length ahead of the Queensland entry, the 50 footer, Heaven Can Wait, with Stephen Ainsworth's Loki back another half a boat length, then Geoff Ross' Yendys.

The Volvo 60 Seriously Ten just snuck under Coogans Stores about six boat lengths behind her, with Hardys Secret Mens Business ahead of Quantum Racing. At the seaward mark, conditions were difficult with five knots of breeze and some serious spectator chop.

ABN Amro rounded the mark just ahead of Quantum Racing, Quest came through nicely but Ragamuffin had to tack in the light breeze and almost stalled in front of Goldfinger. Behind them Decadence slipped through on the outside, ahead of Hugo Boss, and Chieftan was falling down on Flirt as they came into the mark. In fact Flirt managed to get through. Next behind them was Kaz and Pale Ale Rager.

The Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler approached the seaward mark from the cliffs, and forced Shogun to tack away.

Wots Next was well back in the fleet; she rounded just ahead of Wedgetail and Prime Time. The first Sydney 38, Chutzpah, rounded ahead of Team Lexus and Swish. Behind them was Star-Dean Willcocks ahead of Hidden Agenda.

Further back was Dodo, about eight boat lengths ahead of Zen.

An hour into the race the two front runners were crossing Botany Bay, the rocks of La Perouse just a few hundred metres from Alfa Romeo as she finally inched ahead of Wild Oats XI on the inside.

At the start of the race Marion Cooper, Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania had dropped a white rose into the Harbour in honour of John Bennetto, veteran of 44 Rolex Sydney Hobarts and one of the great characters of the race, who died in Hobart just a few days ago. At the seaward mark the crew of John’s boat, Quest, also cast a wreath into the sea as they turned for home.

Further back in the field Toecutter and Inner Circle had been over the line early and had to go back.

As the leaders cleared the Heads, the spinnakers started to 'pop', and Wild Oats, Alfa Romeo, and Skandia started 'flying' down the NSW coastline.

Alfa Romeo currently has a narrow lead from Wild Oats XI, with Skandia six hundred metres back in third place. The crews are certainly being kept on their toes, with several sail changes already being carried out in the varying breeze. Behind them AAPT had a man up the mast, she appears to have a halyard problem.

However, tonight the breeze is expected to 'shut down' for the night, and if this happens it will certainly hamper the leaders' chances of a new race record.

Stay tuned to Sail-World.com for all the latest news throughout the race.