Inspecting the Oats

 In keeping with the adage ‘to finish first, you must first finish’, the shore crew of Rolex Sydney Hobart Race record holder, Bob Oatley’s supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, has given the boat an intense four-day inspection of the yacht and its new, lightweight carbon-fibre mast.

The 45-metre mast -- which barely gets under Sydney Harbour Bridge when it is in place aboard the yacht -- was lifted from Wild Oats XI by a huge mobile crane and lowered onto special cradles on shore at Woolwich Dock, on Sydney Harbour.

Crewmen and rigging specialists then began removing all rigging and fittings from the long, and hollow black mast so every item could be thoroughly inspected for wear and tear.

"This Hobart race is about endurance as well as speed," said the yacht’s skipper, Mark Richards. "It is just as important to make sure the yacht is ready as it is to have the crew at their peak."

The 30-metre hull was lifted from the water and put ashore at the same dock so it could be inspected from bow to stern.

Once out of the water the yacht’s radical new hydrofoil wing -- which has been fitted to increase downwind speed in strong winds -- was also revealed.

Mark Richards also confirmed today that a special new sail, designated an R1, had been added to Wild Oats XI’s sail inventory for the Hobart race. Made from the latest high-tech fabric, it has been designed to provide maximum speed when reaching -- sailing across the wind. It measures an impressive 670 square metres, but even so, it is still a lot smaller than the yacht’s largest sail: a downwind sail that is a whopping 940 square metres -- more than the area of four tennis courts!

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race starts at 1.00pm on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.