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Posted by Alan Sorum Dec 27, 2007 |
Wild Oats XI, a 98-foot super-maxi yacht owned by Bob Oatley, took line honors in the 2007 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with Mark Richards at the helm. Wild Oats XI crossed the finish mark at 1024 local time in Hobart on 28 December 2007 making this the third win in a row for Oatley and his yacht. Elapsed time over the course was 1 day, 21 hours, and 24 minutes making the finish only three hours off the record time recorded by the Wild Oats XI in 2005. Mark Richards has skipped the yacht in all three victories. The last yacht to finish first three years in a row at Hobart was Morna owned by Claude Plowman in 1946 through 1948. The winning elapsed race time in 1948 was 4 days 5 hours and 1 minute in comparison.
The second place vessel was City Index Leopard, skippered by Mike Slade, which finished 27 minutes after Wild Oats XI's finish. City Index Leopard came within four miles of the Wild Oats XI, the pre-race favorite at the finish. Competitors reached speeds of 22 knots during the early hours of the race. Light winds experienced later in Bass Strait kept the yachts off a potential record pace.