Wild Oats XI breaks Cabbage Tree record

5:31 AM Sat 8 Nov 2008 GMT

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours favourite Wild Oats XI has set a new record for the CYCA's prestigious Cabbage Tree Island Race in her first ocean race since undergoing 'go faster' modifications.

The 30-metre maxi finished at 13:58:48 this afternoon, 35 minutes inside the record for the 180 nautical race up the New South Wales Central Coast to the island just north of Port Stephens and back to Sydney.

The internationally successful maxi Alfa Romeo set the previous record of 18 hours 33 minutes 56 seconds in 2005. Wild Oats XI's elapsed time was 17 hours 58 minutes 48 seconds.

Wild Oats XI was miles ahead of her nearest rivals when she finished and with the rest of the fleet beating into a sou'wester this afternoon she could also be the overall winner on IRC handicaps.

'We could not have asked for a better start to our campaign for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart.varying breezes, lots of sail changes and the modifications we have made during the winter all worked,' skipper Mark Richards said after the race, describing these modifications as 'general tweaking.'

Wild Oats XI is looking to a record fourth successive line honours win in the Rolex Sydney Hobart and a chance to break her own record for the 628 nautical mile bluewater classic. Her performance in this overnight race certainly points to her being a faster boat than last year.

'We had 10-20 knots on the nose going north to Cabbage Tree, which we rounded at six o'clock this morning,' Richards added. 'Then it lightened off as we headed south, carrying our Code 0 downwind in the nor'wester.

'We had lots of sail changes during the night and this morning, with the breeze backing to the south-west when we were off Long Reef. From there we were on the nose again to the Heads and up the harbour to the finish.'

Richards added that the race had also given the crew a chance to enjoy their favourite 'lucky home-made pies' cooked for them by Nicky Oatley, grand-daughter of owner Bob Oatley. 'They have brought us luck in every Hobart race so far,' he added.

Of the 26 starters in the Cabbage Tree Island Race, 23 boats have been nominated for the Rolex Sydney Hobart with this race the final qualifying event in NSW waters.

by Peter Campbell

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Wild Oats XI breaks Cabbage Tree record

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