Wild Oats XI
Encyclopedia
Wild Oats XI is a maxi yacht
, most famous for being a multiple line honors winner of the 'blue water classic' Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
. She is owned by Robert Oatley, and skippered by New South Welsh
yachtsman, Mark Richards
.
In 2005, Wild Oats XI set the fastest-ever time for the race so far. In the 2007 race
, Wild Oats XI equaled the 59-year old record of Morna, by taking line honors in the the race three times in-a-row. In the 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
, Wild Oats XI broke the record, winning an un-precedented fourth consecutive line honors.
designed by Reichel/Pugh
with a Carbon
/Nomex
composite hull. It features a 'canting ballast twin foil' (CBTF) to provide very good stability and sail carrying power, which promotes high speed sailing. This advantage make Wild Oats XI a very fast ocean-going yacht. She is rigged in a sloop
style, and has a beam of 5.4 m (17.7 ft) and a draft of 5.5 m (18 ft). Wild Oats XI was built and launched in 2005 by McConaghy.
Between the 2007 and 2008 races, Wild Oats XI underwent further modifications aimed at increasing her speed. Skipper Mark Richards was quoted as saying he believed Wild Oats XI could do the 630 nautical mile
(1,170 km) race in under 24 hours if the wind conditions were right.
, she led the whole way south to arrive in record time, breaking Alfa Romeos 2002 record. In so-doing, Wild Oats XI took line honours, won the Tattersall's Cup (for overall winner adjusted on handicap), and becoming the first boat since Rani in the inaugural race in 1945 to do all three feats.
The following year, 2006, Wild Oats XI was equally dominant, taking line honors in 02 days, 08 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds. Arriving at 9:52pm, the yacht sailed into Sullivans Cove to rapturous applause by a large crowd gathered on the docks, who were appreciative of her achieving her 'double' despite being battered in heavy seas.
The 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
saw Wild Oats XI equal the 59-year old record of Morna, by winning a hat-trick
of line honours titles. Wild Oats XI lined up for the start of the 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
aiming to make history, and set a new record in her own right by becoming the only yacht to win four consecutive line honours titles, and did so, leading for the duration and completing the race in 1 day, 20 hours, 34 minutes 14 seconds. The 2008 race was not without difficulty for the crew though, as they picked up debris in Sydney Harbour which added excess drag, and also collided with a two-metre (6.5 foot) shark
. The crew felt that the collision may have actually assisted them by dislodging the snag from their hull.
The time set by Wild Oats XI in 2005
of 1 day 18 hours 40 minutes and 10 seconds, remains the current race record.
Wild Oats XI won line honours for the fifth time in the 2010 race
, although the yacht's crew faced a protest against their win which could have resulted in disqualification. Under sailing instruction 44.1(A), yachts are required to report their position by radio as they pass Green Cape, the entrance to Bass Strait
. The rule was created following the disastrous 1998 race
in which five boats sank and six sailors died. As the yacht passed the cape, the crew realised that a blown fuse had rendered their high-frequency radio non-functional. They reported their position to race organisers via satellite phone, but race officials forwarded a complaint to an international jury, alleging that the crew had violated what race committee chairman Tim Cox called "one of the fundamental safety rules of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race". The complaint was dismissed by the jury, and Wild Oats XI was awarded its fifth Sydney to Hobart line honours.
Maxi yacht
A maxi yacht usually refers to a racing sailboat of at least in length. It is also a Swedish brand of smaller sailing yachts.-Origin:The term maxi originated with the International Offshore Rule rating system, which in the 1970s and 1980s measured offshore racing yachts and applied a...
, most famous for being a multiple line honors winner of the 'blue water classic' Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
. She is owned by Robert Oatley, and skippered by New South Welsh
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
yachtsman, Mark Richards
Mark Richards
Mark Richards may refer to:*Mark Richards , Australian surfing champion*Mark Richards , US congressman from Vermont*Mark Richards , former English cricketer...
.
In 2005, Wild Oats XI set the fastest-ever time for the race so far. In the 2007 race
2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 63rd annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As in past editions of the race, it was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales...
, Wild Oats XI equaled the 59-year old record of Morna, by taking line honors in the the race three times in-a-row. In the 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 64th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race....
, Wild Oats XI broke the record, winning an un-precedented fourth consecutive line honors.
Design
Wild Oats XI is a state-of-the-art 100 ft (30.5 m) maxi yachtMaxi yacht
A maxi yacht usually refers to a racing sailboat of at least in length. It is also a Swedish brand of smaller sailing yachts.-Origin:The term maxi originated with the International Offshore Rule rating system, which in the 1970s and 1980s measured offshore racing yachts and applied a...
designed by Reichel/Pugh
Reichel/Pugh
Reichel/Pugh is a yacht design company based in San Diego, California, USA. It is led by John Reichel and Jim Pugh.Since the late 1990s, Reichel/Pugh-designed yachts have successfully competed in many major races, including the America's Cup...
with a Carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
/Nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
composite hull. It features a 'canting ballast twin foil' (CBTF) to provide very good stability and sail carrying power, which promotes high speed sailing. This advantage make Wild Oats XI a very fast ocean-going yacht. She is rigged in a sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
style, and has a beam of 5.4 m (17.7 ft) and a draft of 5.5 m (18 ft). Wild Oats XI was built and launched in 2005 by McConaghy.
Between the 2007 and 2008 races, Wild Oats XI underwent further modifications aimed at increasing her speed. Skipper Mark Richards was quoted as saying he believed Wild Oats XI could do the 630 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
(1,170 km) race in under 24 hours if the wind conditions were right.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Wild Oats XI made her Sydney to Hobart debut in 2005, and made an immediate impact on the race. Racing out of the headsSydney Heads
Sydney Heads , is the entrance to Port Jackson in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.North Head and Quarantine Head are to the north, South Head and Dunbar Head are to the south. Middle Head, Georges Head and Chowder Head are to the west and within the bay...
, she led the whole way south to arrive in record time, breaking Alfa Romeos 2002 record. In so-doing, Wild Oats XI took line honours, won the Tattersall's Cup (for overall winner adjusted on handicap), and becoming the first boat since Rani in the inaugural race in 1945 to do all three feats.
The following year, 2006, Wild Oats XI was equally dominant, taking line honors in 02 days, 08 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds. Arriving at 9:52pm, the yacht sailed into Sullivans Cove to rapturous applause by a large crowd gathered on the docks, who were appreciative of her achieving her 'double' despite being battered in heavy seas.
The 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 63rd annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As in past editions of the race, it was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales...
saw Wild Oats XI equal the 59-year old record of Morna, by winning a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of line honours titles. Wild Oats XI lined up for the start of the 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2008 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 64th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race....
aiming to make history, and set a new record in her own right by becoming the only yacht to win four consecutive line honours titles, and did so, leading for the duration and completing the race in 1 day, 20 hours, 34 minutes 14 seconds. The 2008 race was not without difficulty for the crew though, as they picked up debris in Sydney Harbour which added excess drag, and also collided with a two-metre (6.5 foot) shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. The crew felt that the collision may have actually assisted them by dislodging the snag from their hull.
The time set by Wild Oats XI in 2005
2005 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2005 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 61st annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As in past editions of the race, it was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales...
of 1 day 18 hours 40 minutes and 10 seconds, remains the current race record.
Wild Oats XI won line honours for the fifth time in the 2010 race
2010 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 2010 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Rolex, was the 66th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As in past editions of the race, it was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales...
, although the yacht's crew faced a protest against their win which could have resulted in disqualification. Under sailing instruction 44.1(A), yachts are required to report their position by radio as they pass Green Cape, the entrance to Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
. The rule was created following the disastrous 1998 race
1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the 54th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales....
in which five boats sank and six sailors died. As the yacht passed the cape, the crew realised that a blown fuse had rendered their high-frequency radio non-functional. They reported their position to race organisers via satellite phone, but race officials forwarded a complaint to an international jury, alleging that the crew had violated what race committee chairman Tim Cox called "one of the fundamental safety rules of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race". The complaint was dismissed by the jury, and Wild Oats XI was awarded its fifth Sydney to Hobart line honours.
Current crew and number of Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races sailed
- M Richards (4) - Skipper
- I Burns (12)
- T Wiseman (3)
- S Runow (19)
- R Goodrich (3)
- J Wilson (2)
- M Shillington (13)
- J Hildebrand (4)
- I Smith (10)
- A Henderson (12)
- J Whittaker (6)
- R Naismith (13)
- S Jarvin (20)
- I Murray (14)
- A Cahalan (16)
- M Richards (4)
- T Tindill (4)
- C Harmsen (14)
- M Mason (5)
- R Daniel (7)
- T Bellingham (6)
- M Coxon (27)
- J Flannery (6)
- N Drennan (22)
- P Shipway (30)