Wild Oats XI leads fleet into Bass Strait

• NEWS
• 27 Dec, 2010 12:31:00 PM

Wild Oats XI leads fleet into Bass Strait

Bob Oatley’s super maxi Wild Oats XI has led the 86-boat Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet into the notorious Bass Strait this morning, with Sean Langman’s Investec Loyal and Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing in hot pursuit.

Bob Oatley’s super maxi Wild Oats XI has led the 86-boat Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet into the notorious Bass Strait this morning, with Sean Langman’s Investec Loyal and Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing in hot pursuit.

Langman and Wharington’s yachts are level pegging, but the two are sailing either side of the rhumbline, some 20 nautical miles behind the leader, Investec Loyal to the east and Victorian yacht Wild Thing to the west. The lead boats are sailing in a squally sou-westerly in the 30 knot range.

Another battle is taking place just 10nm astern of them, as Matt Allen’s Jones 70 Ichi Ban (NSW) and Peter Millard/John Honan’s 98 footer Lahana (NSW) are within a mile of each other to the east of the rhumbline.

In other news, the NSW yacht She has reported a head injury to crew member Colin Apps, who was reportedly seasick and fell, bumping his head and sustaining a head injury.

She will liaise with the police launch Vanguard, which was following the fleet. Vanguard is towing an 8 metre rib, which will be used to transfer Apps off the boat.  The boat will take Apps to Ulladulla where an ambulance will be waiting.

Further news will be available as it comes to hand.

The fleet can be tracked on Yacht Tracker at: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

By Di Pearson, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team