Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing won line honours in the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart but the following year, leading the fleet to Hobart, she lost her canting keel, capsized and the crew abandoned ship.  Wild Thing was rebuilt and went on to take line honours in the 2005 Sydney Gold Coast, Sydney Mooloolaba and Sydney Mackay races.  In last year’s Hobart Wild Thing finished second to Wild Oats XI after mounting a challenge for line honours

This year has been a quiet one for Wild Thing with Wharington and his crew using the time off the water to prepare the boat for its sixth consecutive attempt at the 628 nautical mile ocean classic.  The design of this 30m maxi is an ongoing process with its configuration refined no less than five times since its launch in October 2003, including a new radical 7m keel for this year’s race.

Link here to an interview with Grant Wharington, owner/skipper of Etihad Stadium, after the boat had retired from the race:

Grant Wharington - 26 December 2009

Name Skandia Race name Etihad Stadium Launch year 2003 Sail number M10 Owner Grant Wharington Skipper Grant Wharington (22) Crew G Taylor (15), I Johnson (13), P Cosman (11), G Durran (9), T Ede (8), G Healy (7), D Haines (12), P Heyes (9), M Bartlett (4), M Pearce (12), J Rae (16), B Coventry (8), S Crafer (11), W Finlay (8), B Morrison-Jack (5), N. Deberque, S. Ciszek, P, Doriean, R. Date. Club Mornington Yacht Club VIC State VIC Type IRC Maxi 98 Designer Don Jones Builder Hart Marine Construction Composite LOA 30.0 Beam 4.99 Draft 5.55 Rig Bermudian Sloop

. Alfa Romeo and RÂN stake their claims at the start, no fairy tale for Etihad Stadium  . Etihad Stadium first high profile casualty  . Tactical decisions the key to 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart  . Etihad Stadium Mast is Up  . Big Cook Up Overnight For Etihad Stadium Maxi Mast  . A Waiting Game For The Next 24 Hours  . Early start for the Etihad Stadium crew in Melbourne  . Etihad Stadium Supermaxi now heading for Sydney