Wild Oats XI eyes treble in Sydney Hobart race

by Lisa Ratcliff on 13 Nov 2007 The 63rd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was officially launched today, with 90 yachts ranging from 10 metres to 30 metres intending to line up on Sydney Harbour for the traditional Boxing Day start on 26 December 2007.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has received an increased number of international entries this year, with nine yachts representing four countries including the first ever Mexican entry (Iataia) and six boats from the UK. Six Australian states and the ACT will be represented, including four boats making the trip from Western Australia.

Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI could become only the second yacht in the history of the race to take line honours over three consecutive years. The treble was last achieved by Claude Plowman’s Morna in 1946, 1947 and 1948. With a line honours win, a record breaking run and the overall trophy in 2005 and line honours again in 2006, getting to Hobart first in 2007 would confirm Wild Oats’ place as one of the legends of this internationally-renowned ocean race.

However, Wild Oats XI will face stiff competition from fellow Australian entry Skandia, UK maxi ICAP Leopard and New Zealand’s Maximus, which is returning with modifications to challenge Bass Strait once again after being dismasted in the early hours of the first morning of the 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

'It will be great to see a bit of friendly rivalry between Australia, New Zealand and the UK on the water,' said Matt Allen, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and skipper of entrant Ichi Ban.

'These boats and their crews are among the best in the world so it will make for a very interesting race this year.'

Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards played down expectations as usual, focusing his attention on getting the maxi ready to race again after it lost its mast during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo in early September. The boat is currently undergoing minor repairs in Sydney before being fitted with a new mast and rigging, and is expected to be re-launched just before the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 11 December.

'We’re approaching this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart like any other – get the new mast in, prepare the boat for Bass Strait after the Mediterranean racing season, test the new gear and the rest will depend on the weather,' said
Richards.

'You can’t assume anything in this race - we saw that last year when Maximus and ABN AMRO both lost their masts.

'In 2005 and 2006 we were optimised to win the Tattersall’s Cup but this year we’ll be fully turbo charged for line honours. To match Morna’s treble would be a great achievement and a real honour, but we’ve got to finish the race first and that’s something we don’t ever take for granted.'

In the right conditions, like those hard running conditions in 1999 when Nokia set a new fastest time, Richards believes the current record set by Wild Oats XI in 2005 could be slashed by up to 10 hours.

Mike Slade, owner/skipper of the biggest likely threat to Wild Oats XI, ICAP Leopard, last night commented, 'We’ve got a real corker of a race on our hands. I think it’s going to be one of the closest Rolex Sydney Hobarts for a long time. Any one of the four 30 metres can win over the line'.

Former Wallaby test prop Bill Young will swap the rugby field for the ‘paddock’ of Bass Strait in his first Rolex Sydney Hobart aboard the Volvo 60 George Gregan Foundation, which will be skippered by former 18 foot skiff world champion David Witt. The boat will raise awareness and funds for the George Gregan Foundation which supports projects for sick children.

Young, who is preparing himself physically and mentally, is both excited and nervous about his first Rolex Sydney Hobart, but says the teamwork and camaraderie of a sailing crew is similar to that of a rugby team.

'I reckon lining up on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day will feel a bit like running onto the ground for a test match, except I only ever felt a bit queasy before a match and this time I’m worried that feeling with last a lot longer,' said Young.

'I’ve got a lot of respect for anyone who undertakes this race and especially for the people that come back year after year.'

Among the many contenders for overall winner this year is race stalwart Syd Fischer and his crew on Ragamuffin. This will be Fischer’s 39th race and, having won line honours in 1988 and 1990 and overall in 1992 with previous Ragamuffins, he understands the eternal challenge of this event, and besides, 'I can’t think of anything else to do between Christmas and New Year' he admitted at today’s launch.

'Winning a Rolex Sydney Hobart is every sailor’s dream but it’s so bloody testing that even when you win it, you vow never to do it again.

'But twelve months later all you can remember is the adventure of the journey, the moments you shared as a crew and the thrill of arriving in Hobart and then, before you know it, you’re sending in your entry form again,' said Fischer who is about to replace the keel on his TP52 and strengthen the boat for its first Bass Strait crossing.

An older legend of the race, the 1997 line honours winner Brindabella, is returning for its 13th start as Andrew Short Marine Brindabella, this time with new owner/skipper Andrew Short at the helm. ‘Shorty’ has revamped the 14
year-old boat by adding a bow sprit and may change the keel prior the race start to give the veteran maxi a better chance of staying in touch with the newer boats.

The first lead up regatta to the Boxing Day start will be the Rolex Trophy One Design Series from 7-9 December followed by the spectacular SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 11 December and finally, the Rolex Trophy Rating Series, an exciting preview to the handicap form guide for the Rolex Sydney Hobart, from 13-16 December.

Last year, a fleet of 87 yachts applied to enter the Rolex Sydney Hobart, 78 made it to the start line on Boxing Day and 69 crossed the finish line off Hobart’s historic Battery Point having completed the gruelling 628 nautical mile course.

The line honours record currently stands at 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds, set by Wild Oats XI in 2005.

Name	Owner	State	Div	Design
AFR Midnight Rambler	Sue Psaltis & Bob Thomas	NSW	IRC	Farr 40 Mod
Alacrity	Matthew Percy	NSW	IRC	Beneteau 44.7
Andrew Short Marine Brindabella	Andrew Short	NSW	IRC	Jutson 79
Another Challenge	Chris Lewin	VIC	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Another Fiasco	Damian Suckling	QLD	IRC?	Jutson 43
Aurora	Jim Holley	NSW	IRC	Farr 40 - One Off
Balance	Paul Clitheroe	NSW	IRC	Sydney 47
Bear Necessity	Andrew & Pauline Dally	NSW	IRC	C & C 115
Berrimilla	Alex Whitworth	NSW	TBA	Brolga 33
Capriccio of Rhu	Michele Colenso	UK	Cruis	Oyster 55
Challenge	Lou Abrahams	VIC	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Chutzpah	Bruce Taylor	VIC	IRC	IRC 40
Cougar II	Alan Whiteley	VIC	IRC	TP 52
Dehler Magic	Greg Tobin/ Charlie Preen	QLD	PHS	Dehler 39
DHL - The Daily Telegraph	Kookaburra Challenge	NSW	PHS	Volvo 60
Eleni	Tony Levett	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Endorfin	Peter Mooney	NSW	IRC	Sydney 47
First Light	Nicolas Ewald & Susan Rice	NSW	PHS	Adams 12
Flying Fish-Arctos	Flying Fish Properties	NSW	PHS	Radford 16.4
Georgia	John Williams & Graham Ainley	VIC	IRC	Farr 53
Getaway Sailing .Com	Peter Goldsworthy	NSW	PHS	Volvo 60
Getaway Sailing 2	Peter Goldsworthy	NSW	IRC	Sydney 38
Global Yacht Racing - Kioni	Kioni Sailing Pty Ltd	NSW	PHS	Beneteau 47.7
Goldfinger	Peter Blake / Kate Mitchell	VIC	IRC	Farr 52
Helsal IV	Dr T Fisher	TAS	??	Dynamique 62
Huckleberry	Steve Humphries	WA	IRC	Sparkman & Stephens 34
Hugo Boss II	Alex Thompson Racing	UK	IRC	Volvo 60
Iataia	Marcos Rodriguez	MEX	IRC	Beneteau 40.7
ICAP Leopard	Mike Slade	UK	IRC	Maxi 30m
Ichi Ban	Matt Allen	NSW	IRC	Jones 70
IMAREX	Marc & Louis Ryckmans	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Impeccable	John Walker	NSW	IRC	Peterson 33
Infinity III	Les Goodridge	NSW	PHS	Farr 65
Inner Circle	Ken Robinson & Darren Cooney	NSW	IRC	Farr 40 IOR
Integrity	Peter Gentsis	VIC	??	Culler 46
Jazz	Chris Bull	UK	IRC	J145
Knee Deep	Philip Childs & Frank Van Ruth	WA	IRC	Farr 49
Krakatoa II	Rod Skellet	NSW	PHS	Pogo 40
Limit	Alan Brierty	WA	IRC	Corby 49
Living Doll	Michael Hiatt	VIC	??	Cookson 50
Matangi	David Stephenson	TAS	IRC	Frers 39
Maximus	Bill Buckley	NZ	IRC	Maxi 30m
Morna	Greg Zyner	NSW	IRC	Cavalier 34
Mr Beaks Ribs	David Beak	NSW	IRC	Beneteau First 44.7
Mr Kite	Buckland & Hunn	NSW	IRC	Mr Kite 40
Namadgi	Rick Scott-Murphy	ACT	PHS	Bavaria 44
Next	Peter Goldsworthy	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Noonmark VI	Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy	UK	IRC	Swan 56
Ocean Skins	Tony Fowler	NSW	PHS	Inglis 47
One For The Road	Kym Butler	NSW	IRC	Northshore 370
Palandri Wines Minds Eye	Brad Skeggs	WA	IRC	Beneteau 34.7
Papillon	Phil Molony	NSW	IRC	Archambault 40
Phillips Foote Witchdoctor	The Rum Consortium	NSW	PHS	Davidson 42
Pisces	David Taylor	TAS	IRC	Sydney 36
Polaris of Belmont	Chris Dawe	NSW	IRC	Cole 43
Pretty Fly II	Colin Woods	NSW	IRC	Beneteau 47.7
Pretty Woman	R Hudson/M Lockley/R Murphy	NSW	IRC	Farr 45
Quantum Racing	Ray Roberts	NSW	IRC	Cookson 50
Quetzalcoatl	Bruce/Hampshire/Lee Warner/Sweetapple	NSW	??	Jones 40
Ragamuffin	Syd Fischer	NSW	IRC/IRM?	TP 52
Rosebud	Roger Sturgeon	USA	IRC	Transpac 65
Rush	Ian & John Paterson	VIC	IRC	Corel 45
Sailors With Disabilities	David Pescud	NSW	PHS	Lyons 54
Sailplane	Decosol Marine	UK	IRC	Benetaus First 47.7
Salona	Phillip King	NSW	PHS	Salona 47
Scarlet Runner	Robert Date	VIC	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Secret Mens Business #1	SMB Syndicate	NSW	IRC	Murray 42
Sextant	Denis Doyle/ Lynne Smith	NSW	IRC	X-412
She	Peter Rodgers	NSW	PHS	Olsen 40 Mod
Sheridan Road Rail (Tartan)	Ian Sanford	NSW	PHS	Northshore 38
Shogun	R G Hanna	VIC	IRC	Rogers 46
Silver Lady	Hugh Ellis	VIC	??	Simpson 44
Skandia	Grant Wharington	VIC	IRC	Maxi 30m
Spirit of Koomooloo	Mike Freebairn	QLD	IRC	S & S 48
Splash Gordon	Stephen Ellis	NSW	IRC	Farr 40 - MOD
Stormy Petrel	Kevin O'Shea	NSW	IRC	S & S 36
Swan Song	Geoffrey Hill	NSW	IRC	Swan 48
Swish	Steve Proud	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
TBA	Adrian Dunphy	NSW	IRC	TBA
The Bigger Picture	Mike Roberts & Anthony Hooper	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
The Goat	Foye/Gordon	NSW	OD	Sydney 38
True North	Andrew Saies	SA	IRC	Beneteau First 40.7
Wedgetail	Bill Wild	QLD	IRC	Welbourn 42
Wild Oats XI	Robert Oatley	NSW	IRC	Maxi 30m
Wistarie	A. E. Ratcliff	NSW	??	Moody S38
Wot Yot	Graeme Wood	NSW	IRC	TP 52
Wot's Next	Graeme Wood	NSW	IRC	Sydney 47
Yendys	Geoff Ross	NSW	IRC	Reichel Pugh 55
Zen	Gordon Ketelbey	NSW	IRC/OD	Sydney 38
Zephyr	James Connell	NSW	IRC	Farr 1020