Big Boats take Bird Island race

It was a big boat clean-up in the Port Hacking-Bird Island Race last weekend, with the Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI skippered by Mark Richards taking line honours to create a record and finish second overall, while Wild Thing (Grant Wharington) was second on line, nearly one hour behind Oats, which was enough to hand it overall victory. The new Patrice was third overall. 

The Wild Oats XI crew would have been a bit nervous, having only two days earlier re-stepped their new lightweight carbon-fibre mast after a section was fractured. It gave the crew only Friday to get comfortable with the boat and rig. However, a race and extra miles later, Mark Richards was confident.

"We’ve still got a few bits and pieces to do," he acknowledged this morning, adding: "Don’t forget, we still have our other mast in great condition -- so we’ve got time to decide between now and Boxing Day if we want to change it," he said.

"Conditions were beautiful -- the boat was perfect upwind and the speed exceptional – we were averaging 8-12 knots in 12-16 knots of breeze. It all felt great. We took a few miles out of Wild Thing upwind, but they are very slippery downwind. If we get nor’ easters going to Hobart, they’ll do very well.”

Queenslander Grant Wharington was thrilled with Wild Thing’s overall win and the promise to come. "We’re pretty excited. We’ve got a shorter rig, which is why we rate lower, which gives us time on the other super maxis once the handicaps are applied," he explained.

Wharington has added a shorter, heavier keel and a smaller rudder to the yacht. "Doing that has got rid of drag, so we’re faster downwind," he said.

"Half the race was downhill -- to Port Hacking and on the way back from Bird Island and we were doing 15 to16 knots in a 14 knot nor-easter. Ricko (Richards) rang to congratulate us, which was pretty nice of him."

Both Richards and Wharington, veterans of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, are looking forward to the big race and to the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge tomorrow (Tuesday December 10) starting at 12.30pm off Vaucluse.

"We’re out of the water tomorrow to give the hull a good clean and we might get our rating down further before the Hobart. We’re really looking forward to Big Boat and the Hobart. We just need to stay in touch with the other super maxis going upwind, then if we get any downwind, we’ll be in good shape," Wharington predicted.

Richards said: "We’re really excited about the Big Boat and Rolex Sydney Hobart, “(Perpetual) LOYAL is the most impressive and powerful boat around, so we’ll have to sail a faultless race to beat them. They’ll have to do the same. All the big boats have their strong points…”  

Matt Allen debuted his brand new Carkeek 60, Ichi Ban, in the Port Hacking Bird Island Race and finished third on line and fifth overall, racing with a mix of regular and new crew members. Victoire, the Cookson 50 Darryl Hodgkinson purchased this year, was fourth overall.