Rolex Sydney Hobart - Illingworth Trophy not presented at dock + Video

by Peter Campbell on 28 Dec 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart - It may be an omen of what’s to come tomorrow, but the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia tonight abandoned plans to present the prestigious Illingworth Trophy to the skipper of Wild Oats XI, the first yacht to finish the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The trophy, which honours the founder and winner of the inaugural Sydney Hobart in 1945, Captain John Ilingworth RN, in recent years has been presented at a hyped up, dockside ceremony soon after the line honours winner comes alongside at Constitution Dock.

Guests include the Lord Mayor of Hobart and yacht club Commodores. A Rolex watch is also presented to the winning owner or skipper by a representative of the sponsors.

Neither happened tonight and the maxi yacht at this stage is the ‘provisional’ winner of line honours, subject to the hearing by the International Jury of a protested lodged earlier this evening by the Race Committee, under the chairmanship of Commodore Tim Cox AM RANR.

The Race Committee has protested Wild Oats XI and the British yacht Ran for failing to report in by HF radio at Green Cape, as specified in the Sailing Instructions for the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

At a press conference, Commodore Cox said the sailing instructions which relate to ‘Mandatory Reporting from Green Cape’ was a fundamental safety issue which had been introduced following the fatal 1998 Sydney Hobart Race.

Both yachts had reported in by satellite telephone but Commodore Cox said the view of the Race Committee was that this did not comply with the Sailing Instructions.



Questioned by the media at the dock, skipper Mark Richards claimed that Wild Oats XI had complied '100 per cent' with the rules of the race, stressing 'we won the race and we will win the protest' with his views strongly supported by owner Bob Oatley who was at the dock to meet the crew.

Nevertheless, it was a subdued crew which packed up the maxi yacht and left for a night ashore – after only two nights at sea!

The Race Committee protest has been lodged under SI 44.1(a) that on approaching Green Cape (Lat 37°15’) a boat must assess ‘if its HF radio s operational and has a signal strength fit for the ensuing purpose’ (of crossing Bass Strait) and under SI 44.2 that a boat must call JBW (the radio relay vessel) on the race frequency and declare that it ‘complies of the requirements of SI 44.1 and elects to continue racing.’

The outcome of the protest hearing could see both Wild Oats XI and Ran being declared ‘DNF’ (did not finish) for failing to comply with SI 44.1 and SI 44.2, or the International Jury may decide on a time penalty (a percentage of elapsed time) or even a disqualification.

Any of these could preclude Wild Oats XI of the line honours status and trophy and Ran a chance of a corrected time victory overall or in its division.

Rolex Sydney Holbart race yacht Website