A.R.S.E.

Started at 1:00PM today amid some drama on board the favourite, Wild Oats XI.

In pre-start manoeuvring, she suffered a failure of some of her hydraulic services, meaning she had no power to operate her primary winches. Since everything on this boat is to a greater or lesser degree controlled by hydraulic motors, including her canting keel, her chances for another line honours win must be under question.

Skipper Mark Richards was pretty vocal in his post-start instructions, dropping numerous F bombs on live TV (not that I think anyone cares much but you could tell how stressed he was).

Anyhow, the lead boats were last seen planing down the NSW coast, doing around 20kts in a 15kt Nor-Easter. Anyone who thinks things can't be exciting at that speed ought to try it.

A few of my fellow club members are in it again this year: Scarlet Runner, Cougar and Calm - TP52 type yachts and Bacardi, a 33 year old veteran with 27 Hobarts under her belt. She's probably the hardest raced boat in Victoria, if not Australia. She lost her rig last year and spent 8 months out of the water while they reconditioned her. She's now virtually a new boat. Her owner/skipper Martin Power has also driven a Commodore in the Bathurst 1000 back in the 80s.

A few boats to watch out for are Hugo Boss, a radical off-wind 60 footer designed for the Vendee Globe, Ichi Ban, a former Volvo Open racer from a few years back and Loki, a likely favourite for handicap honours. But with the wind on the snotter most of the way, I'm tipping some of the older boats - like Bacardi - will do well.

Anyone who's interested can follow their progress here:

http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/yacht_tracker.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems someone wants to make a race of it:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-27/i ... er/3748918" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Last I saw before this report, Wild Oats XI was making 3kts to Loyal's 11. At that point she was 17nm ahead of Loyal. As at midnight tonight (27/12), Loyal was 1.5nm ahead but Wild Oats was doing 13kts to Loyal's 11. This will end up being very tactical But you'd have to think Wild Oats XI would still be a hot tip. She's faster on all points of sail and Loyal have made really good tactical moves to get where they are. Kudos to them. Yacht races are won that way. They stayed in the breeze while Wild Oats XI sailed into a hole.

And there won't be much wind for them today I hear. Looking like a finish tonight sometime rather than the early reports of a finish during the day today.

It's tight at the front. I don't know how they do it on the smaller yachts, i'd be no good to anyone as I clung on for dear life asking for a swift end.

Looks like they'll be tacking up the Derwent in light winds. Only about 60nm to go by the look of it.

This is so close. The lead has just swapped again and Loyal is back in front. They're only averaging about 3 knots so pure boat speed isn't going to work so well for Wild Oats. Other than a tactical blunder by one or a tactical triumph by the other, there's nothing in it. If Wild Oats XI's winches are still non-functional, Loyal could initiate a tacking duel up the Derwent to wear them down. Match racing anyone?

This will go right down to the wire (I hope).

Update:

Looks like Wild Oats will catch Loyal just before the Iron Pot.

Well, it was a good race...

Wow!! Thriller!

Just 400 metres separates these two 100 footers. Loyal still in front with 2.1nm to go!

*EDIT*

All over!

The underdog got up! Yippee!

good result. they are bloody big yachts.

A protest has been lodged...

So what's your take on it JD?

Investec are claiming the sail maker was only checking up on his product? Would seem pretty silly to risk the race by cheating, so I don't think they would have made that mistake so obvious.

Just give it to them I say.

I understand it was Michael Coxon who asked the question. He was on Wild Oats XI for a while himself.

As far as I know, he's a professional sailor and sailmaker. I'd be astonished if he did it to gain advantage.

But it's a pretty stupid thing to lay yourself open to when it's highly likely you'll be recorded doing it.

It's an international panel - as befits an international series - and they will decide what they decide. One of the guys on the boat I sail on is an International Judge. I'll be interested to hear what he thinks.

Skipper of wild oats is even backing him, saying the question was innocent. I'm sure they don't want to win it that way.


Sent from Han Solo using TK-421's phone.

Protests are less common than they used to be. The America's Cup was responsible for this IMHO. They looked like such dicks and gave the sport such a bad name that nobody really wants to do it any more. I have never been in a protest in 24 years of racing.

The last two in the Sydney-Hobart have been lodged by the Race Committee. Both were dismissed.

In the end though, it's a bit of a lesson about what you should and shouldn't do with your radio calls...