Sydney-Hobart-2018

[Doug Lord]

What a race-as of 2:18 eastern:
1-Wild Oats XI-15.5 knots 24.4 miles to go,
2-Black Jack 10.5 knots,3.5 miles behind WOXI,
3-Comanche 9.6 knots, 4.8 m back,
4-InfoTrack 10.9 knots 6.8 m back.

Go Wild Oats!!!!

 

[Doug Lord]

Tracker - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/tracker/

 

[Doug Lord]

LIVE Stream of the Finish:
LINE HONOURS | Live Stream - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/news/2018/day-3/line-honours-live-stream/


Go Wild Oats!!!!

 

[Doug Lord]

Congratulations to Wild Oats XI!!! 9th Sydney-Hobart line honors win!

 

[Doug Lord]

Under 2 m to the finish and Black Jack is ahead of Comanche by about .3m and Comanche is a bit faster!
Black Jack takes second just ahead of Comanche!

 

[Mr Efficiency]

How much different to the original boat, would be the Wild Oats XI of today, Doug ? It certainly has an impressive record.

 

[Doug Lord]

The boat started off with the CBTF system(Canting Ballast Twin Foil) but they got rid of the forward rudder and added two daggerboards. Then they added what amounts to a forward daggerboard in about the same position as the forward rudder-don't know if they still have that. Relatively recently they tried a DSS foil but about half the Team didn't like it so they ditched it. And recently they added a tiny little fin to the bulb.
But the biggest changes came with a sawzall:

 

[Mr Efficiency]

I see, more than cosmetic changes !

 

[Doug Lord]

Oh, yeah....... But probably cheaper than a whole new boat?

 

[Mr Efficiency]

Whatever has been done, has been good enough to stay right on the pace. Or maybe I should give more credit to the crew !

 

[Doug Lord]

Yes is the best answer. But I think this race is one where the crew showed their mastery of the boat and especially sailing. Comanche was faster a lot of the time but the Wild Oats boys pounced on those times she wasn't and Team WOXI may well have had better tactics in the light to moderate shifty conditions.
I think it's great-I was behind Wild Oats when she first started out- before anybody knew what she could do-and I've stuck with her thru her 9 SH wins and a few losses. What a spectacularly great boat!

 

[Mr Efficiency]

They are certainly doing a lot right, you don't get that lucky repeatedly.

 

[Doug Lord]

Redemption Day:
Redemption day for Wild Oats XI - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/news/2018/day-3/redemption-day-for-wild-oats-xi/

“Redemption, guys … Redemption day …” yelled a beaming Mark Richards to the cheering crowd on the docks after he skippered the 14 year-old Wild Oats XI to a record ninth line honours victory in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Friday 28 December.

 

[Mr Efficiency]

Poetry in motion when you look at these things scoot along, they have turned a long slog into a two-day jaunt, even in light conditions.

 

[Mr Efficiency]

Some belly-aching from the runner-up for line honours, that the winner's transponder that allows its position to be tracked by others, was not continuously operating. No protest, a cursory reading of the rules suggests it would not succeed anyway, there being no stipulation it must be turned on, only that it "should" be.