The annual Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race started on Boxing Day, with a brisk 15-20 knot north-easterly breeze setting the 88-strong fleet on its way.

Despite her electric mainsail winch failing just 11 minutes before the start of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI led the fleet through Sydney Heads.

Wild Oats

Wild Oats led the way from the start - photo Daniel Forster/Rolex



The start
In the final minutes before the start, Wild Oats XI’s mainsheet was led through headsail winches as crew frantically worked below decks on the winch’s electronic drive.  The pressure didn’t prevent Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards winning the start at his favourite pin, or western end of the start line.

Just metres behind the five-time Rolex Sydney Hobart honours line winner was Anthony Bell’s Investec Loyal, the biggest threat to Richard’s ambition of a sixth line honours victory on the silver grey racer.

Eventually, with all her winches back on line as they approached Sydney Heads and after slam dunking Investec Loyal as the two boats tacked towards the turning mark, Wild Oats XI seemed to hit her stride at last and began inching away from her rival.

Once around the seaward mark Wild Oats XI was the first to set her spinnaker as she turned towards Hobart, scything through a confused and difficult seaway in around 15 knots of north easterly breeze.

Wild Thing

Wild Thing was third out of the harbour - photo Daniel Forster/Rolex



Following behind
Third out of the harbour was Grant Wharington’s super maxi Wild Thing, ahead of Stephen Ainsworth’s 63 footer Loki.  Loki had by far the best start of the grand prix yachts in the 50 to 60 foot range, which in recent years have been the most fancied for the coveted trophy in Australian yachting, the Tattersall’s Cup, awarded to the handicap winner.

While the biggest boats enjoyed a thrilling start, the early minutes were not quite so smooth for the smallest boat in the fleet, Sean Langman’s 30 foot, 79 year-old Maluka of Kermandie.  Maluka and Jarrod and Catrina Ritchie’s luxurious Beneteau 57 cruiser, Alchemy III, were a little too enthusiastic at the start and had to return for a second start after crossing the line early.

Loki

Loki looks for the handicap win - photo Daniel Forster/Rolex



Battle rages
Today, the battle for line honours was still raging. Investec Loyal is clinging to a 1.8 nautical mile lead over Wild Oats XI as the two super maxi's play cat and mouse down the Tasmanian coast in light and fickle northerly breeze.

Investec Loyal pounced on her line honours rival at approximately 2000hrs on Tuesday evening when Bob Oatley’s yacht, with Mark Richards at the helm, sailed into a patch of dead air, allowing Anthony Bell’s 100-footer to sail around her.

Now the roles are reversed with a forecast of very light and variable winds, including very large patches of no wind at all off Tasmania's coast for most of the day, which was evident in the short message from Wild Oats XI just after 0630.

It was reported from the five-time line honours and record holder: “We've got a yacht race on our hands out here! We are high speed running - more wind shifts ahead.”

It will be a day to test the mental toughness and stamina of the yachts' tacticians and navigators and the precision of the crews as they try to wring every fraction of a knot out of their boats in these light airs.

At least the distractions of a possible race record are behind them. The light winds ended that remote possibility once and for all last night.

Calm

Calm is currently in the lead on handicap - photo Daniel Forster/Rolex



Among the smaller boats
Behind the super maxis at the tail end of Bass Strait, the 50 to 60 foot grand prix yachts, led by Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki, are sailing at 10 knots and less in a light and shifty northerly.

However, later this morning, those yachts are likely to find themselves in better pressure than the frontrunners, which will have the effect of closing the time gap on the line honours contenders.

The further north you are in Bass Strait the stronger the breeze, with the smaller boats in the fleet making good ground in the race for the Tattersalls Cup, which is awarded to the overall winner of the race.

Crews on these smaller yachts will be hopeful that by the time they reach the Tasmanian coast, the High that is causing the fickle winds today will have moved on.  If so, this could well be a small boat race.

The IRC handicap race is currently being led by the Victorian TP52 Calm (Jason Van Der Slot), with the 2009 overall winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Two True, the Beneteau 40 owned by Andrew Saies, currently second from the French entry L’Ange De Milon (Jacques Pelletier) in third.

Twelve yachts have now retired, with 76 yachts still racing. The latest casualty was Colin Woods’ Pretty Fly III, which dropped off a crew in Eden after he suffered a knee injury.