Sydney-Hobart 2017

Yes, and she is often said to be the fastest of them all, and by far the most expensive of them all. That is the point.

Look at an Open 60, a 12 Foot Skiff, an ORMA 60 tri, a Mini Transat* - as they show, the classes that only limited LOA normally end up developing great righting moment and enormous rigs. That creates major problems with cost, seaworthiness or other factors.


* Yes, some of these classes now have limits, but those limits were only created after development had already created boats that were very big for their length.

 

Wild Oats XI---

 

No late nights for me - last night was all over before my bedtime - very considerate of them both.

The best part for the local venues, would have been the huge crowds "coming down out of the hills" to watch, and staying on the food and drink - lots of drink.

15:00 is only 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I reckon on 30 minutes for evidence, 30 minutes and a couple of jugs to write up the decision, and a 10 minute penalty max for Wild Oats.

 

I hope you're right..... Again,it was great to wake up to your updates this morning-thanks!

 

I DONT BELIEVE IT !!!!!

"
LDV Comanche is the new line honours winner of the Sydney to Hobart after successfully protesting against Wild Oats XI for a near collision between the two yachts just outside Sydney Heads on Boxing Day.

WIld Oats XI was penalised an hour for the infringement, enough to wipe away the 26 minutes and 34 second winning margin."

LDV Comanche new Sydney to Hobart winner after successful appeal http://www.smh.com.au/sport/sailing/sydney-to-hobart-protest-scheduled-for-thursday-afternoon-20171228-h0ater.html

 

According to the Official Results board, Wild Oats is still the winner - whats going on ??

Standings - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2017 http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/standings/

 

Wow - its true - Comanche won the appeal.

An HOUR !!!!

I would love to read the transcript of the proceedings.

 

Finally, the official place gets updated

 

It was a more than hazardous manœuver from WOXI, moreover taken into account speed and inertia of such maxi yachts, it was a miracle that Comanche could stop its speed and avoid the collision.
In a classic yachts regatta during the Nioulargue 1995 (in St Tropez Bay), a similar denial of priority led to the sinkage of the smaller boat involved ( the one which the priority) and a crew stuck inside the boat was dead. The affair was judged in justice. The Nioulargue stopped 3 years and reborn in 1999 under the name of Les voiles de St Tropez :
Nioulargue 95: condamnation des responsables de la mort d'un régatier http://www.letelegramme.fr/ar/viewarticle1024.php?aaaammjj=19961120&article=1365651&type=ar
These accidents are not rare unfortunately, here is a list with often wounded crew as a result :
Voiles Classiques http://voilesclassiques.blogspot.fr/2008/10/accidents-et-collisions-en-rgate-suffit.html

 

"Is Comanche used its canting keel on leeward side to reduce its huge wetted surface ?

Just a note - yes. There were a couple of news shots today showing them doing that in dead calm conditions

 

Nah. It was really obvious that the wild oats skipper was ready to pinch up to avoid the collision, and he actually steered back to the stern of wild oats to make it look really close.
Done it myself a few times to put the wind up the "bad" boat.

 

From the video, we have really the feeling that, once his hazardous tack done, WOXI has no longer the speed to give clearance to Comanche in time. All the merit of the collision avoidance was to the credit of Comanche, by the right application of Isaf rule 14 (written after Nioulargue drama) :
Rule 14: A Rule that Never Sleeps https://www.sailingworld.com/rule-14-rule-never-sleeps

 

Others may think that perhaps the International Jury of qualified judges, who had the opportunity to have each side present its case and to quiz the witnesses, could possibly know more about the situation and rules than we onlookers do.

We didn't get to check the output of the nav software on Comanche - the jury did, and apparently it proved that JS did not bear away. Probably no one here has passed the various tests to become a member of an IJ - the jury did.

Given Case 50 and the size of the boats, it seems to be a very reasonable decision.

 

To avoid confusion - I should have said "It was really obvious that the Comanche skipper was ready to pinch up to avoid the collision, and he actually steered back to the stern of Wild Oats to make it look really close.

Which still is NOTHING to do with "could possibly know more about the situation and rules than we onlookers do".

The decision of the jury was based on a lot more than Comanche's avoidance tactics. Anyone who saw the "point blank" TV coverage of the incident from the stern of Wild Oats could plainly see that Comanche was never in danger of hitting Wild Oats.

Check out

at 20:29, and you can see the Comanche approach directly, and the attached photo is Comanche heading upwind with no risk of hitting Wild Oats.

 

Well, that's racing. Damn shame -could have been avoided by WOXI.......
Wild Oats did an extraordinary job of sailing after the poor judgement of the incident.