Handicap challengers slipping away

• NEWS
• 29 Dec, 2005 02:00:00 PM

Handicap challengers slipping away

In a typical Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one of the well-prepared mid-sized boats is generally a good bet for winning on handicap. For this reason DK46 Quantum Racing was seen as one of the strong favourites for this year, but the predominantly downwind conditions have played into the hands of the big boats. Line honours winner Wild Oats XI is looking increasingly likely to add the coveted Tattersalls Cup to Bob Oatley's trophy cabinet.

In a typical Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one of the well-prepared mid-sized boats is generally a good bet for winning on handicap. For this reason DK46 Quantum Racing was seen as one of the strong favourites for this year, but the predominantly downwind conditions have played into the hands of the big boats. Line honours winner Wild Oats XI is looking increasingly likely to add the coveted Tattersalls Cup to Bob Oatley's trophy cabinet.

Despite impeccable boat preparation, along with victory in the Rolex Trophy during the build-up to this race, Ray Roberts could not get close to Wild Oats's handicap time.  "I don't think we could have sailed a much better course than we did," said Roberts, "but the hard reaching and running doesn't suit this boat and that's why we weren't up in the money for this race.  That's the luck of the draw.  We'll be back again with this boat.  Typically in this race you get a lot of hard beating and that's what this boat is excellent at."

At one point, however, Quantum Racing was in a lot of trouble.  "One of our steering cables broke, and we did a few 360-degree circles in the middle of Bass Strait while we tried to set up some temporary steering.  We laid the boat over and trashed a spinnaker while we tried to fix it.  That incident dampened our spirits a bit, but the boys did a good job of getting things up and working again.  When we got our confidence back in the steering, we had her hammering along nicely."

Another leading contender was Stephen Ainsworth's new 60-footer Loki.  Like Quantum Racing she would probably have benefited from a more 'typical' race to Hobart, if there is such a thing.  Even so, the conventional keelboat did well to beat other more radical 60-footers into Hobart, including the Open 60 Hugo Boss and the Volvo Ocean 60s Seriously 10 and ABN AMRO.  Loki's boat captain Brad Kellett commented: "We knew we could beat Hugo Boss, but we are a little surprised because there's a massive weight difference.  They're 8 tons and we're more like 12 tons.  We're a conventional yacht.  We rely on the crew for weight." Hugo Boss, on the other hand, has a canting keel and water ballast, but Alex Thomson had just 10 people on board. Kellett commented: "I think one of the benefits for us is that we had 16 guys to do all the work when we had things needing dealing with, whereas some of the other boats had much fewer."

All in all, Loki sailed a very clean race, Kellett said.  "The hairiest moment was charging along in the pitch black with the kite up. We were doing 28 to 30 knots through the water.  The whole boat was underwater at that stage.  We took our kite down and went to jib top at that stage.  We enjoyed our ride, that's for sure. "As with Quantum Racing, the predominantly amateur crew on Loki will be back for another crack at the 628-mile course next year, in the hope that the Rolex Sydney Hobart will be back to its characteristic severity.  "This boat was designed to win this race," said Loki's boat captain.  "So this year is a little bit frustrating but at the end of the day, that's ocean racing."

Having just completed his 37th race to Hobart, race legend Syd Fischer was again wondering why he continues to come back.  "Must be stupid," he shrugged. "I think it's like women having a baby, they forget after a while."

By 1300 hours this afternoon, 23 yachts had crossed the Hobart finish line, with only three yachts retired, the latest retirement being Jeff Otter's Icefire, which sustained damage to its mast.  While some of the smaller yachts still hold a mathematical chance of usurping Wild Oats XI from the top of the handicap leaderboard, it looks increasingly likely that Bob Oatley is set to claim an historic treble of line honours, course record, and handicap victory in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Top 10 Line honours finishers
28th December

1. Wild Oats finished at 08:00 hours
2. Alfa Romeo finished at 09:16 hours
3. Skandia finished at 13:45 hours
4. Konica Minolta finished at 14:46 hours
5. AAPT finished at 17:42 hours

29th December

6. Loki finished at 01:19 hours
7. Coogans Stores finished at 01:27 hours
8. Seriously 10 finished at 01:53 hours
9. Hugo Boss finished at 02:14 hours
10. ABN AMRO finished at 02:34 hours

Provisional IRC standings, recorded at 1400 (AEDT), 29 December 2005

1. Wild Oats XI
2. Alfa Romeo
3. Konica Minolta
4. Chieftain
5. Skandia
6. Wedgetail
7. Loki
8. Hardys Secret Mens Business
9. Quantum Racing
10. Wot's Next