Coffs Harbour in a Canter for Wild Oats?

by Andrew Palfrey on 29 Oct 2002 This year’s Strathfield Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Offshore Series will see the ocean racing debut of Bob Oatley’s ground breaking new 60 footer Wild Oats.

Since making her debut at Hamilton Island in August, Wild Oats has been carving up Pittwater in Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s (RPAYC) Wednesday afternoon races.

Wild Oats’ sailing master, Mark Richards said he was looking forward to the start of the Strathfield Series “We are ready to go. The Pittwater to Coffs race is perfect for the boat”.

Not only did Wild Oats dominate the Big Boat division at the competitive 2002 Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island in August, she displayed the speed of a ninety foot yacht. Since her dominant performance at that event, interest in yachts with canting keels has been high around the globe.

Whilst Wild Oats’ participation in the 2002-2003 Strathfield Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Offshore Series will threaten the long standing race record time, the 2004 event may see an unprecedented one-design maxi yacht contest in the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race.

“There are currently three 86 foot maxi-yachts under construction in Australia and New Zealand.

All of these yachts are being built with canting keels. Although they are being designed by different offices, they will all fit into a very narrow IRC Handicap rating band.

In essence we hope to see three 86 feet, canting keel maxi’s racing from Pittwater to Coffs Harbour in January of 2004”. Richards said.

Wild Oats has raised some eyebrows, most notably amongst yacht racing authorities.

Because of her new technology, the Wild Oats Sailing Team is currently holding talks with yachting officials to work through the eligibility of her configuration. Commenting on the integrity of Wild Oats’ design, Richards said “These boats are very safe. When the canting keel is used, Wild Oats has incredibly high positive stability”.

This technology is being referred to as Canting Ballast, Twin Foil (CBTF). There is a lead bulb on the end of a very narrow keel fin. The fin and bulb can be moved from side to side using hydraulics. This mechanism is simply controlled by control buttons in the cockpit.

There is a back-up system if the hydraulics fail. Because of its small sectional shape, the keel fin offers little in the way of lift or sideways resistance. This is where the bow and stern rudders come in.

The steering system links the rudders together for normal sailing, but the angle of the bow rudder is fine-tuned to give optimum lift for a given set of wind and sea conditions.

Designed by Riechel/Pugh team in San Diego and built by Azzurra Yachts on the Gold Coast, the manufacture was overseen by Iain Murray.

The key people involved in the building of Wild Oats, included Richards, Project Manager Iain Smith, and the manager of Azzurra Yachts, Paul Wrench.

This Australian based team have been working with Murray, building large yachts and spars on the leading edge of technology since the mid 1980’s with the Kookaburra Americas Cup syndicate.

Entries for the Strathfield Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Offshore Series are continuing to be lodged at the RPAYC Yachting Office.

One of the recent entrants, Wayne Millar’s Zoe has just achieved another podium finish on IMS Handicap in the Sydney to Lord Howe race, which was started off Barrenjoey headland last Saturday.

Millar is the Commodore of the Townsville Motor Boat and Yacht Club and he will be lining up for his first Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs Race. “Wherever I sail nowadays, everybody is talking about the Pittwater to Coffs event.

It’s getting bigger and better every year and I want to be a part of it” Millar said. Zoe, an eight year old Murray designed 41-footer is entered in the IMS handicap division.