Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

A record breaking run is in the wind for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

by Rob Mundle on 22 Dec 2016
Wild oats XI at the start of her record breaking run in this year’s Brisbane to Keppel race. Andrea Francolini Photography http://www.afrancolini.com/
While the weather forecast for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart on Boxing Day suggests it will be “a typical Hobart”, where fast downwind will be brought to an abrupt halt by a stiff southerly change, the bigger picture leaves little doubt supermaxi Wild Oats XI’s race record time for the 628 nautical mile classic could be lowered by some three hours, possibly more.

In 2012 the 30-metre long “silver bullet”, owned by the Oatley family and skippered by Mark Richards, posted a race record time of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds.

The current weather outlook for the start is for a fast run south from Sydney on the face of a 25 to 35 knot north easterly wind, a strong southerly change of around 30 knots off the far south coast around midnight, then a return to fast downwind sailing for the remainder of the course to Tasman Island, across Storm bay and up the Derwent River to the finish.

It is an outlook that appears tailor-made for the big boats in the fleet when it comes to a race record time, and possibly victory on handicap in the 91-yacht fleet. It also sets the scene for a great battle for line honours between the four Supermaxis – Wild Oats XI, Perpetual Loyal (Anthony Bell), Scallywag (Seng Huang Lee) and the recently upgraded CQS (Ludde Ingvall).

Given ideal conditions, Wild Oats XI certainly has the potential to lower the Hobart race record by a considerable margin. Earlier this year she averaged 21 knots when she set a new mark for the 350 nautical mile Brisbane to Keppel race. Her average speed when she set the current Hobart race record time in 2012 was just 15 knots. The top speed the yacht has recorded to date is 35 knots (65 kilometres an hour).

However, while the potential is there for a fast ride to Hobart, the Wild Oats XI crew need only look back to last year’s race to remember how easily and quickly things can go wrong. Conditions then were not a lot different to what is forecast for the race this year – a southerly change on the first night. Last year the crew was not fully prepared for the severity of the change. As a result a manoeuvre went wrong, the mainsail shredded and Wild Oats XI was forced out of the race.

“We are much better prepared this year,” Wild Oats XI’s navigator and meteorologist, Juan Vila, said at the Cruising Yacht Club’s pre-race weather briefing today.

Vila, who has won the America’s Cup and competed in non-stop an around-the-world race, said the crew’s approach to the southerly change will be far more cautious this year.

“Getting safely through the transition period between the north-easterly wind and the southerly change is critical,” he said. “The challenge is to not take the spinnaker down too late, and not put up the headsail for upwind sailing too early. It will be dark when the southerly change hits, so that will make it doubly difficult because you can’t see the change coming.

“The good news is that Wild Oats XI race ready. Our job now is to get her to the finish as fast as possible.”
B&G Zeus SR AUSPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterRooster 2025

Related Articles

The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it?
Posted on 2 Jul
Stay, play and save at the 2025 Sydney Boat Show
The ultimate indoor boating experience will take over Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park The ultimate indoor boating experience, Sydney Boat Show, will take over Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from 14 to 17 August for the first time.
Posted on 2 Jul
Jazz Turner Faces Everything and Rises
Non-stop, solo, unassisted British Isles navigation has captivated sailors & non-sailors alike Jazz Turner's Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin Vega 27ft yacht has captivated sailors and non-sailors alike.
Posted on 2 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D3
Surprise exits in Marstrand as Quarter-Finalists decided The qualifying round-robin stages at GKSS Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand finished today with the surprise departure of defending champion USA's Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing and Switzerland's Eric Monnin/ Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team from the Open Class.
Posted on 2 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais Day 1
Sled sparkle in Cascais' Atlantic surf to lead After seemingly being starved of boisterous top end conditions for some years now Okura's Sled crew have been relishing a return to big breezes and big waves.
Posted on 2 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race: Offshore classics set to race
IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it. While French round the world race legend Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (aka VDH) isn't competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, two of his former steeds will be on the IRC Zero start line.
Posted on 2 Jul
Four days to start the 5th AEGEAN 600
The fleet has a wide range of sizes and types represented Nearly all 60 teams are assembled here at the Olympic Marine venue getting ready for the start of the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600, organized by the Hellenic Offshore Race Club (HORC) with co-organizers being Olympic Marine and Region of Attica.
Posted on 2 Jul
The Magenta Project unveils new brand identity
As part of its milestone tenth anniversary As part of its milestone tenth anniversary, The Magenta Project is excited to launch a refreshed brand identity and the first phase of its new website, reinforcing its commitment to equity and inclusion for women in sailing.
Posted on 2 Jul
Course des Caps Update: A promising start!
The eleven crews have begun their grand tour around the British Isles The Course des Caps - Boulogne-sur-Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, which set sail from the shores of northern France, marks the first race of the 2025 season and kicks off the new edition of the IMOCA Globe Series Championship.
Posted on 2 Jul
AST and B&G extend high-performing partnership
Continuing a collaboration that has been critical to the success of the team AST has announced the renewal of its long-term partnership with B&G, the world's leading sailing navigation and instrument specialists, continuing a collaboration that has been critical to the success of the team over the past eight years.
Posted on 2 Jul