Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet prepare to battle stormy Tasman sea

by Ian Grant on 5 Dec 2011 Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X1 is the winner of the 2011 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week IRC class line honours trophy and is heading an impressive fleet for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race who are preparing to do battle with the storm tormented Tasman sea.

No owner, skipper or individual crew are prepared to predict what will unfold in the important tactical terms of wind and sea conditions yet another impressive fleet will sail out of Sydney Heads on Boxing Day for what is considered to be among international ocean racings more physically demanding challenges of seamanship.

Barring accident, gear failure and crew injury the Mark Richards Hamilton Island Yacht Club registered Wild Oats X1 is expected to prevail in the maxi boat match race against the Anthony Bell owned Investic Loyal, the Peter Millard skippered Lahana and the Matt Allen helmed Ichi Ban.

All of the four front runners have been recently modified with either hull shape changes or new additions to their sail lockers for what is expected to become a seriously contested 628 nautical mile match race for the prestigious line honours trophy.

Previous form suggests Wild Oats X1 will remain as the yachting punter’s favourite to claim her sixth line honours title from the past seven races.

But her experienced crew including Americas Cup winning sailors will need to again show their respect for the weather particularly if a squally ‘southerly buster’ roars in from The Great Southern Ocean.

Interest will also focus on the Volvo 60 class match race involving the New South Wales Andrew Wenham skippered Southern Excellence and the Whitsunday Sailing Clubs Leo Rodriguez steered Merit.

Southern Excellence launched in 2001 has had a recent ‘face lift’ which promises to lift her speed potential for her boat on boat match race against the 1997 launched Merit.

This clash between the two former Volvo Globe ‘war horses’ will be determined by which crew produces the smartest tactical strategy associated with the wind angle and velocity that blows over the deck.

Race experience favours the team of Tropical Sailors who have the distinction of winning the 2008 Performance Handicap class trophy under the redress rule following their rescue of the Victorian crew from the sinking yacht Georgia.

Merit now racing in her 14th year has the proven record of surviving a physically demanding Sydney Hobart however skipper Leo Rodriguez understands he will need to apply a tactical smart strategy over the 628n/ml race to win his State of Origin war on the water over his New South Wales rival Andrew Wenham in Southern Excellence.