Bob Oatley's Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X has turned the tables on her rivals, taking line honours in the second race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week by nearly four minutes. The big silver boat crossed the line at 11.56.38, in front of the RP 63, Limit (12.00.18), with Wild Joe (12.01.45) ahead of Loki for third. Yesterday's winner, Black Jack fell into a hole on the inland side of the course and struggled to get to the line. However, in a sensation, she was also announced as the winner on handicap but was then relegated to third place for racing under the wrong rating certificate. Details are sketching at time of writing but it's thought the difference in ratings relates to the keel configuration.
According to Australian Yachting editor Barry Hansen, Wild Oats led virtually from the gun, getting a committee boat-end start and racing up the favoured right hand side of the course.
Yesterday's second and third place getters on handicap, Scarlett Runner II and Wot Now, exchanged places in the first race today and share the lead on five points each. The boats are now underway in the second windward/leeward of the day, with the wind still fickle and making conditions difficult.
In Division 2 there was also a complete turnaround on yesterday's result. If you can forgive me going biblical on you, “the last shall be first and the first shall be last”. Yesterday's winner Alegria found herself at the wrong end of the fleet today, while the tail-ender from yesterday, the Kiwi boat Georgia One, took the win on handicap. Tony Donnellan's RP design Shamrock was first across the line.
Place |
Boat Name |
Sail No |
Elapsd |
AHC |
Cor'd T |
Fin Tim |
Skipper |
Score |
1 |
WILD OATS X |
AUS7001 |
56:38 |
1.580 |
01:29:29 |
11:56:38 |
Bob Oatley |
1.0 |
2 |
WOT NOW |
6952 |
01:06:00 |
1.358 |
01:29:38 |
12:06:00 |
Graeme Wood |
2.0 |
3 |
SCARLET RUNNER |
SM11 |
01:06:15 |
1.356 |
01:29:50 |
12:06:15 |
Robert Date |
3.0 |
4 |
LIMIT |
98888 |
01:00:18 |
1.500 |
01:30:27 |
12:00:18 |
Alan Brierty |
4.0 |
5 |
EVOLUTION RACING |
8899 |
01:09:19 |
1.320 |
01:31:30 |
12:09:19 |
Ray Roberts |
5.0 |
6 |
WILD JOE |
AUS7002 |
01:01:45 |
1.498 |
01:32:30 |
12:01:45 |
Steven David |
6.0 |
7 |
LOKI |
AUS6000 |
01:03:06 |
1.496 |
01:34:24 |
12:03:06 |
Stephen Ainsworth |
7.0 |
8 |
LIVING DOLL |
R55 |
01:23:56 |
1.396 |
01:57:10 |
12:23:56 |
Michael Hiatt |
8.0 |
9 |
SHOGUN |
R50 |
01:33:04 |
1.313 |
02:02:12 |
12:33:04 |
Robert Hanna |
9.0 |
10 |
BLACK JACK |
52566 |
01:25:15 |
1.591 |
02:15:38 |
12:25:15 |
Peter Harburg |
10.0 |
Place |
Boat Name |
Sail No |
Elapsd |
AHC |
Cor'd T |
Fin Tim |
Skipper |
Score |
1 |
GEORGIA ONE |
NZL11111 |
01:07:32 |
1.178 |
01:19:33 |
12:12:32 |
Jim Farmer |
1.0 |
2 |
DEKADENCE |
SM46 |
01:07:05 |
1.196 |
01:20:14 |
12:12:05 |
Philip Coombs |
2.0 |
3 |
SHAMROCK |
M330 |
01:02:56 |
1.281 |
01:20:37 |
12:07:56 |
Tony Donnellan |
3.0 |
4 |
TERRA FIRMA |
SM47 |
01:08:45 |
1.187 |
01:21:36 |
12:13:45 |
Nicholas Bartels |
4.0 |
5 |
RATIONALE AKATEA |
G8710 |
01:13:12 |
1.141 |
01:23:31 |
12:18:12 |
Ian Holten |
5.0 |
6 |
CRACKLIN ROSIE |
6530 |
01:12:53 |
1.187 |
01:26:31 |
12:17:53 |
Robbo Robertson |
6.0 |
7 |
CHUTZPAH |
R33 |
01:12:42 |
1.203 |
01:27:28 |
12:17:42 |
Bruce Taylor |
7.0 |
8 |
TWO TRUE EVOLUTION |
YC400 |
01:30:05 |
1.088 |
01:38:01 |
12:35:05 |
Andrew Saies |
8.0 |
9 |
ALEGRIA |
Q345 |
01:30:37 |
1.094 |
01:39:08 |
12:35:37 |
Rod Jones |
9.0 |
m: At the first mark of the windward/leeward course being sailed today, Wild Oats X has hit back at the fleet after a disappointing day yesterday. Bob Oatley's Reichel Pugh 66 was 200 metres ahead of another RP design, the 63 foot Limit, with yesterday's winner Black Jack four boats back in the fleet.
After a very light morning, the wind has started to fill in and the boats are enjoying around 10 knots from the north.
Meanwhile, to the south the remainder of the divisions are competing in a short island race. It's unlikely the wind will have reached there yet, so again the smaller boats willbe favoured on handicap.
We'll bring you a full report and results at the end of the day.
– Roger McMillan