Wild Oats XI aim for 6th Rolex Worlds Sydney-Hobart Race title under challenging sailing conditions
Australia’s Sydney-Hobart Race 2011 will commence on Monday, December 26, with 88 yachts ready to sail in the gruelling 628 nautical mile race. Supermaxi Wild Oats XI crew members are set to make their presence felt at the venue and are looking forward to
claim their sixth Sydney to Hobart yacht race title.
What can trouble the participants more than the competition itself is the weather forecast over the race course. The 88-yacht fleet sailing in the race will face some of the most disturbing and troubling weather conditions during the event. The race course
will be surrounded by strong winds blowing southerly along with huge cyclone-related swells, which means it is not going to be an easy race for sailors.
Racing across the Bass Strait and up the Derwent River is not usually completed successfully because of the unforgiving ocean conditions. During the yacht race in 1998, this kind of forecast swallowed six lives and five yachts. Due to the horrible incident,
the fleet was unable to complete the race.
The Sydney to Hobart race takes the title of one of the world’s toughest races due to these coastal currents and the swiftly changing weather. According to the meteorological department, at the start of the race on Boxing Day, the fleet will face an ideal
Tropical Cyclone Fina but within 12 hours, troubling southerly headwinds can cause a bit of damage.
However, the Wild Oats XI crew is determined to take their chance and grab a sixth win at the Rolex World Sydney-Hobart race. They are confident to set sail in the race because the forecast is likely to favour their 100-foot (30 metre) yacht. Wild Oats XI
still holds the race record they achieved in 2005, where they completed the race course in one day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds.
Speaking to the local media before the start of the event, Wild Oats XI navigator, Adrienne Cahalan said, “I’m afraid it is out of the window, there’s too much southerly in this forecast. I can’t see any record breakers here.”
During the event, Wild Oats XI will be challenged by the archrivals, the 100-footer Investec LOYAL, who nabbed a second place in 2010, and winners of 2003 line honours, the 98-foot Wild Thing.
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