Hobart: Defending champion Wild Oats XI has taken line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race for a record-equalling seventh time, winning by more than 30 nautical miles on Saturday.
Wild Oats, skippered by Mark Richards and owned by billionaire wine mogul Bob Oatley, who is head of the Australian syndicate challenging for the next America’s Cup, crossed the finish line in the 628-nautical-mile race in two days, six hours and seven minutes.
Thousands on the Hobart waterfront for the island capital’s holiday season festivals cheered on the crew of 20, who have a combined 250 Sydney to Hobart races among them.
Wild Oats set the race record last year when it finished in one day, 18 hours, but light winds this year left that mark well out of reach.
The other yacht to win seven Hobart races was Morna/Kurrewa IV, the first time in 1946 and the last in 1960.
Fluctuating weather
Oatley said at the finish line at Constitution Dock that fluctuating weather conditions left his boat’s line honour chances in doubt.
“[We were] worried until we got across the line today because it is such a difficult race,” the 86-year-old Oatley said.
“We lost the lead the first night out with difficult weather conditions. Then we were happy to pick it up again and improve on it which we have done all day.”
He said the crew will be back to attempt to make it eight wins next year.
“We’ve got a great future, more wins,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it’s wonderfully built.”
Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal, which led for part of the first 24 hours of the race, was expected to finish second, having been 33 nautical miles back when Wild Oats crossed, while veteran skipper Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin 100, another super maxi, was in third, a further 17 miles back.
Gale-force winds
The back of the fleet — mostly smaller yachts — was bracing for southwesterly gale-force winds to hit Bass Strait later on Saturday. The Bureau of Meteorology was predicting winds of up to 40 knots (75 kilometres per hour, 45 mph) and seas up to four metres (14 feet).
In 1998, a storm hit the fleet early in the race, killing six sailors and sinking five yachts. Four boats had retired from the original 94-yacht fleet that left Sydney Harbour on Thursday.
