WILD Oats XI remains on track for a third successive Rolex Sydney-Hobart line honours win after cruising to a considerable lead over its supermaxi rivals overnight.
After leading the charge out of Sydney heads yesterday, the New South Wales yacht increased its lead throughout the night, pulling more than 11 nautical miles clear of second-placed UK maxi City Index Leopard by the time the boats entered Bass Straight at 5am.
Victorian maxi Skandia, travelling closer to shore, remained in third place with Ichi Ban and Rosebud heading the rest of the fleet.
George Gregan Foundation, the yacht on which foxsports.com.au reporter Cornell Van Der Heyden is sailing, was in 16th place, 42 nautical mile east of Green Cape, and 96 nautical miles behind Wild Oats XI.
The leading boats were on race record pace for much of the night with winds of up to 20 knots, and they still have a chance of bettering the mark despite conditions easing.
Leopard skipper Mike Slade said even a slight increase in conditions could put Wild Oats XI‘s 2005 race record under threat while declaring the race for line honours was far from over.
"Were trying hard to pull back Wild Oats XI after her splendid downhill run," Slade said.
"We are in reaching conditions now, doing 14 to 15 knots with our reaching sails up.
"The 10-hour downhill run was not our best suit, but we quite like this.
"We are trying to get some separation from Wild Oats XI by going east looking for stronger wind and, at the moment, we are getting it.
"We have the whole of Bass Strait ahead of us and these are conditions we like so we must make the most of it."
Slade said he hoped to reel Wild Oats XI back to within around five nautical miles by the time they reached Flinders Island so he could take advantage of any opportunities that might come from the unpredictable winds off the Tasmanian coast.
The comfortable race conditions so far have seen only two boats retire from the race – Mr Kite, with a broken rudder, and Berrimilla, which wrapped a spinnaker around its mast.
Capriccio of Rhu was set to resume racing after it was forced to stop in Wollongong last night to allow a crew member to go to hospital after he severed the top of a finger.
Bruce Taylor’s Chutzpah led the early IRC handicap standings, from Spirit of Koomooloo and Wedgetail, while Namadgi led the PHS division.
Wild Oats XI is aiming to become only the second boat after Morna, and the first in almost 60 years, to claim three consecutive line honours wins.
AAP
Source: Wild Oats XI on track
