Maxi sails away with honours | Coffs Coast Water Sports | Water Polo, Diving, Jet Ski and Boating in Coffs Coast

Wild Oats enters the harbour to take out line honours in the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race.

L JENSEN

THERE was no record broken but yesterday’s line honours win by Wild Oats XI was probably more popular than her spectacular 2007 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race victory.

Many missed that fleeting appearance three years ago when harbour conditions saw her in and gone within half an hour.

But this time around Bob Oatley’s giant maxi had thousands packed around the Jetty precincts when she crossed the line at 10.03am, with traffic piling up in back streets as cars streamed eastward hoping to get an eyeball view.

With a 15 knot southerly at her back Wild Oats XI made an impressive entry to the harbour doing 20 knots.

“That dispels the myth big boats can’t berth in the harbour,” a relieved Coffs Harbour Yacht Club director Garry Innes commented.

“As the boat came through they had to keel her right over so she’d fit but that was more for safety reasons than for actual need.

“It proves big boats can get in providing captains use some brains and watch the tides.”

On board the support vessel which stood by to assist the entry, Innes said he was in awe of the sheer power and presence of the winner.

“Passing the quarry she still had her spinnaker up and I’ve never been up close to see a 100-foot boat accelerate as fast,” he said.

“Then they changed the sails and it was incredible to see all that propulsion fade and watch the propeller as it slowed her down.

“This bloke who skippers the boat (Mark Richards) really knows what he’s doing ... he can judge almost to an inch what has to be done and what will happen.

“He’s a genius, I reckon.”

Wild Oats XI arrived in 21 hours 3 minutes 57 seconds, two-and-a-half hours outside the record.

Mystery surrounds the second sked at 12.05am Sunday which placed fellow maxi Etihad Stadium well out in front of the fleet.

Opinions are divided on what occurred with one theory suggesting a mistake writing down co-ordinates caused the error.

But by the time the next sked was issued at first light the positions had been corrected.

Etihad Stadium took a bow at 12.21pm in second position but skipper Grant Wharrington added to her legend by using the alternate offshore finish line for the first time in the race’s 29-year history.

“It was a really good shakedown for us and we’re very happy,” he said.

“We sailed pretty conservatively so we’re glad to be here in one piece.”

Late yesterday at the fifth sked Bill Ebsary’s Le Billet was handicap leader with 45 boats remaining at sea as a south-east pressure zone grew. grow.

With the fleet still entering port the Festival of Sail continues today with a giant sand modelling competition on Jetty Beach with registrations being taken from 1pm.

Judges will announce the winners at around 5pm and entry is by gold coin donation.