Official - Wild Oats XI takes Hobart Race hat-trick

• NEWS
• 29 Dec, 2005 06:03:00 PM

Official - Wild Oats XI takes Hobart Race hat-trick

The Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Geoff Lavis this evening announced that there is now no boat at sea that can beat Wild Oats XI as Overall Winner of the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Geoff Lavis, this evening announced that there is now no boat at sea that can beat Wild Oats XI as Overall Winner of the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

This makes Wild Oats XI the provisional Overall Winner, subject to protest. Race officials are unaware of any pending protests by any of the yachts still racing.

Wild Oats XI is the first boat since the inaugural winner in 1945, Rani,  to take  line honours, set a benchmark elapsed time and be the Overall Winner on corrected time.

Commodore Lavis said it had been an interesting battle during the day for the title. 

“The oldest boat in this year’s fleet, Ray White Koomooloo, which was Overall Winner in 1968, has been the closest competitor to threaten Wild Oats XI all day,” he said. 

“It reinforces the strength of the handicap system. Any well-sailed, well-founded boat has a realistic chance of winning this race.”

Rani's elapsed time for the 628 nautical mile course in 1945 was 6 days 14 hours 22 minutes.  It lasted as a record for just one year when Morna broke that time and since then the record has been bettered a further nine times.

Wild Oats XI's elapsed time was 1 day 18 hous 40 minutes and 10 seconds.