Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

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2010
Wild Oats XI goes through final safety training for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Wild Oats XI goes through final safety training for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

NEWS
17 Dec, 2010 02:54:00 PM

Wild Oats XI crew members in a lifecraft during their safety exercise

Wild Oats XI goes through final safety training for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Crew from Bob Oatley’s Rolex Sydney Hobart race record holder, Wild Oats XI, went through their final safety drill on Sydney Harbour today to ensure everything is in readiness for the start of this year’s ocean classic on Boxing Day.

The 30.48 metre long supermaxi will be going for her fifth line honours victory in six starts, and if the current weather outlook for the race holds true she could well lower her record time of 1 day 18 hours 40 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 2005. The prognosis is for light south easterly winds at the start then following north/north-easterly winds for the majority of the 628 nautical mile course.

Three more days of on-the-water training have been scheduled for Wild Oats XI prior to the race while today was set aside for the equally important safety drill.

"We are as conscious of crew safety as we are of racing as fast as possible to Hobart,’ said Wild Oats XI’s skipper, Mark Richards today.

"It’s of prime importance because when something does go wrong aboard a yacht this large and powerful it happens fast. You could call today’s exercise preventative maintenance.’

Today’s program was conducted under the guidance of Terry Wise, from Pacific Sailing School. It involved the firing of distress flares and the deployment of a liferaft then crew donning life jackets and abandoning ship before swimming to the raft. Once in the raft they fired off another smoke flare.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Garry Linacre acknowledged Wild Oats XI’s focus on safety.

"I’d like to thank Bob Oatley and his crew for focussing their pre-race attention on safety. Anything crews can do to better their knowledge of safety by practicing drills is considered a positive by the club.

“I’d also like to thank Terry Wise and Pacific Sailing School for their guidance at this morning’s drill.”