Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney maxi Wild Oats XI took round one in the battle of the maxis at the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. From a good start, and with smart tactics, she was able to slow her British rival City Index Leopard on the short beat to windward to the first turning mark inside Sydney Heads and then extend that lead on the leg out to the second turning mark. The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet passed through light transitional winds early this morning between the strong overnight northerly, of up to 22 knots and into a weak southwest change. The three maxis leading the fleet were close reaching in the sou’wester at good speeds between 12.4 – 15.1 knots across Bass Strait.

Bob Oatley’s 98-foot super-maxi Wild Oats XI, with Mark Richards as skipper, crossed the finish in the morning of the 28th of December in Hobart at 10:24am local time to take the line honours win for the third consecutive year. The US STP65 Rosebud, owned by Florida-based Roger Sturgeon, has almost certainly won the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race’s major trophy, the Tattersall’s Cup for the overall winner on IRC handicap.