Wild Oats wins Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race for record eighth time
Australian-owned boat sees off challenge of debutant Comanche to take line honours
Wild Oats XI took line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race for a record eighth time on Sunday, holding out a late challenge from American super-maxi Comanche in its big race debut.
Australian-owned Wild Oats crossed the finish line to complete the 70th edition of the blue water classic in an unoffical time of 2 days, 2 hours and 2 minutes.
The 100 foot super maxi has taken line honors in the race eight times in 10 years. In winning Sunday, it broke the record of the Australian yacht Morna – later named Kurrewa IV – which took line honours seven times between 1946 and 1960.
Comanche, owned by Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze Clark and skippered by Ken Read, was listed as having about 10 nautical miles to sail when Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line off Battery Point just after 3 p.m. local time.
Another American super maxi, Rio 100, was in third place about 120 nautical miles behind Comanche and just ahead of Australia’s Black Jack and Alive.