Hobart, Tasmania (December 28, 2018) – The Reichel/Pugh-designed Wild Oats XI surges to victory to take her 9th Line Honors win in the 2018 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race.
Hobart, Tasmania (December 28, 2018) – The Reichel/Pugh-designed Wild Oats XI surges to victory to take her 9th Line Honors win in the 2018 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race.
Three years of trauma and heartache for the Wild Oats XI family has ended, after a premature retirement from the 2015 race with a torn mainsail, followed by Bob Oatley’s death in January 2016 and another race retirement in 2016 due to hydraulic ram issues, and then the much publicized 2017 race when Wild Oats XI was penalized one hour after an incident with Comanche and lost her line honors crown and a new race record to Comanche. Val Oatley described Wild Oats XI 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart line honors victory perfectly alongside the dock in Hobart this morning: “Three years of misery to this moment,” and you could not wipe the smile from her face or that of her sons Sandy and Ian, as they waited for their Supermaxi to moor alongside the pier. Wild Oat’s skipper Mark ‘Ricko’ Richards handed over the helm to the Late Bob Oatley’s grandson, Daniel (Ian Oatley’s son, on his third Sydney Hobart on the family yacht) on the final leg to the finish. It was a blissful moment for the Oatley family and their supporters as their silver Supermaxi crossed the Hobart finish line at 08:07:21 on Friday, 28 December.
Asked how this ninth win weighs up against Wild Oats XI’s other victories, Richards said: “This is one of the best yachting wins of my life and I’ve won a lot of races.
“This is one of the best feelings, not just for me, but for the whole team, the Oatley family. After an event like last year, to come through and redeem yourself, today is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. Money can’t buy that sort of stuff.”
Richards also lauded the worthiness and sheer class of Wild Oats XI, especially against such a strong calibre field of super maxis yachts, of which there were five entries, but four finishers, after Scallywag withdrew with a broken bowsprit a few hours after the Boxing Day start.
“I think there are only six grand prix hundred footers in the world,” he said. “They (the five entries) are the best 100 footers in the world – and to have a boat this old still showing the way is pretty impressive. She is a remarkable machine.
Peter Harburg’s Reichel/Pugh-designed Black Jack from Queensland, was first out of Sydney Harbor and second over the finish line at 08:35:06 followed by the 100’ Comanche at 08:36:09, the fourth 100’ Christian Becks Info Track finished at 08:51:17. Black Jack had finished 3rd in the 2017 race. Black Jack was originally Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo and launched in 2005 taking 2nd in line honors to Wild Oats that year. Alfa went on to huge success in Europe and came home to take line honors from Wild Oats in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, after setting a new course record in the 2009 Transpac Race. Alfa Romeo was then sold to Europe as Esimit Europa, which went on to dominate Maxi racing in Europe. Queenslander, Peter Harburg bought her in 2017, renamed her Black Jack following updates to the boat. The Black Jack team set a new course record in the 2018 Brisbane to Gladstone Race and took Line Honors in the 2018 Sydney to Gold Coast Classic.
In the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Wild Oats XI won the Trifecta setting a new Course Record with a Line Honors victory and was the Overall Winner on corrected time. Wild Oats repeated the Trifecta in 2012.
Wild Oats and Black Jack, built by McConaghy Boats – Sydney, winning for well over a decade is further proof of the longevity that comes with a the Reichel/Pugh brand.
Reichel/Pugh 10 competitor’s included: Alive, Apsaras, Black Jack , Chutzpah, Hartbreaker, Naval Group, Primitive Cool, Voodoo, Wild Oats X and Wild Oats XI.
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2018 Line Honours – Live Stream
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WildOatsXI Team Facebook
Black Jack Yachting Facebook
source: Di Pearson and Rupert Guiness, RSHYR media
images courtesy of ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi
REICHEL/PUGH’S HISTORY IN THE 628nm ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART BLUE WATER CLASSIC:
- R/P Yachts have won the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race Overall (on handicap) in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and now 2018
- Since 1996 RP Maxis have taken Line Honors 12 times, with Wild Oats XI taking Line Honors a record nine times in thirteen years (2005-2008, 2018)
- R/P designs have reset the course record three times in 1996, 2005 and 2012
2018 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish, 6th ORCi Overall, 4th ORCi Division 1 – Oatley Family
2018 – 66’ Alive – 1st Overall, 1st IRC Div 0, 1st ORCi Overall, 1st ORCi Division 1 – P. Turner
2018 – 100’ Black Jack – 2nd in Line Honors, 4th ORCi Overall, 3rd ORCi Division 1 – P. Harburg
2018 – 66’ Wild Oats X – 2nd Overall, 2nd IRC Div 0, 2nd ORCi Overall, 2nd ORCi Division 1 – 11th Hour Racing / Oatley Family
2018 – 63’ Voodoo – 3rd Overall, 1st IRC Div 1, 3rd ORCi Overall, 1st ORCi Division 2 – H. Ellis
2018 – 40’ Chutzpah – 2nd IRC Division 2, 3rd ORCi Division 2 – B. Taylor
2017 – 100’ Black Jack – 3rd in Line Honors – P. Harburg
2017 – 40’ Chutzpah – 3rd Division 2 (IRC) and 8th overall corrected time – B. Taylor
2017 – 66’ Wild Oats X – 4th Division 0 & 7th in Line Honors – The Oatley Family
2014 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish and 1st Overall – B. Oatley – 8th Line Honors Win In 10 Years
2014 – 40’ Chutzpah – 1st Class 2 (IRC) and 2nd Overall corrected time – B. Taylor
2014 – 52’ Scarlet Runner – 1st Division 1 ORCi and 2nd Division 1 IRC – R. Date
2013 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish – B. Oatley
2012 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish & First Overall (Trifecta Win and Course Record Set: 1 day 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds) – B. Oatley
2012 – 63’ Mini Maxi LOKI – 2nd Overall & 1st IRC Division 1 – S. Ainsworth
2012 – 66’ Mini Maxi Black Jack – 3rd Overall IRC & 1st Overall ORCi – P. Harburg
2011 – 63’ Mini Maxi LOKI – 1st Overall – S. Ainsworth
2010 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish – B. Oatley
2010 – 51’ Secret Men’s Business 3.5 – 1st Overall – G. Boettcher
2009 – 100’ Alfa Romeo – 1st to Finish – N. Crichton,
2009 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 2nd to Finish
2008 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish (Record 4th Consecutive Line Honors Win) – B. Oatley
2007 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish – B. Oatley
2006 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish – B. Oatley
2005 – 100’ Wild Oats XI – 1st to Finish & Overall Winner Corrected Time (Trifecta Win and Course Record Set: 1 d, 18 h, 40 m and 10 s) – B. Oatley
2005 – 100’ Alfa Romeo – 2nd to Finish & 2nd on Corrected Time in Fleet – N. Crichton
2002 – 90’ Alfa Romeo – 1st to Finish – N. Crichton
1996 – 80’ Morning Glory – 1st to Finish (Course Record Set: 2 d, 14 h, 7 m, 10 s) – Dr. H. Plattner
1996 – 66’ Exile – 2nd Place Line Honors & 1st place Class A – E. Ecclestone