Wild Oats in action out on the water. Picture: Ian Mainsbridge Source: The Daily Telegraph
WHILE her rivals continue repairs and tuning, champion supermaxi Wild Oats completed her on-water preparations for the Sydney to Hobart with skipper Mark Richards declaring her race ready more than a week before the Boxing Day start of the Australian ocean classic.
Richards and his team put the finishing touches on their preparations for the gruelling race on Sydney Harbour and off Sydney Heads yesterday with a full crew workout on the five-time line honours winner.
But on their return to dock, Richards said the 100-foot ocean champion is ready and primed for her assault on the 69th Rolex Sydney to Hobart.
"We are ready to go," Richards said after two straight days of reefing practice, manoeuvres, sail changes and general tuning of the yacht he hopes will race off with an unprecedented sixth line honours win in this year's race to Hobart.
"Everything is good. We are happy."
Wild Oats will continue to be readied off the water, with the 100-footer to be hauled out of the water today to show off her most recent modifications, including some keel technology borrowed from the 1983 America's Cup where Australia II's winged keel helped win the famous sporting event for the first - and only - time.
The yacht has been fitted with numerous appendages to increase her speed in light winds after her weakness in this area of sail was exposed when beaten to the finish line in last year's race.
Grant Wharington's smicked-up 100-footer Wild Thing was also on the water yesterday as his crew familiarised themselves with the yacht considered a dark horse for victory in the race after numerous off-season modifications.
He and his team will work throughout the week and possibly also next weekend on preparing the boat for the rigours of the Hobart.
Warrington and his team will also spend time setting up their new sails, some of which arrived on the weekend and some which are due to arrive today.
"We just want to spend as much time together working on the boat as possible," Warrington said
It's a similar wish from the Ragamuffin Loyal camp whose preparations were put on the back foot after rigging and mast damage last week.
The towering mast was taken out of the yacht for checking with the 100-footer expected back on the water by at least Wednesday.
The 100-footer, sailed to a line honours win by Anthony Bell a year ago when known as Investec Loyal, has a chance of skipper and name for this years race.
Veteran Syd Fischer will steer the team south in his 44th assault on the race with a new team of sailors.
The race for the line honours win in the Rolex race could be one of the closest in recent time between the top three frontrunners.
A fleet of 78 yachts is excepted on the start line of the race to Hobart on Boxing Day with Wild Oats, Ragamuffin Loyal and Wild Thing all more than three times bigger than the smallest yacht - the 30-footer Maluka.
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