Solas Big Boat Challenge results

Roar Guru

15th December, 2015

Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.

Brindabella during the Big Boat Challenge (Photo: Tristan Rayner)

Mark Richmond

Roar Guru

15th December, 2015

On Boxing Day 111 yachts of varying sizes, including the international round the world Clipper fleet, will head to Hobart in the 71st edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Yesterday, however, was a chance for the big boys who will lead the charge south to strut their stuff in front of casual observers and the media alike, in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge.

This made-for-spectator event is run on the harbour each year starting at 12.30pm and finishing no later than 2pm, perfect for enjoying one’s lunch and watching supermaxis dodge ferries as Ragamuffin 100 had to do today!

Entries were down this year with only eight yachts participating, by invitation only, including Sydney to Hobart line honours contenders Wild Oats XI, Ragamuffin 100, Perpetual Loyal and US yacht Rambler.

Unfortunately the public missed the opportunity to see the American supermaxi Comanche in full flight, as she chose not to participate

The race started in light north easterly winds, on an overcast Sydney day. All the talk in sailing circles has been of how the modified Wild Oats XI would perform against her rivals for the big race this year.

Well, if Tuesday’s race is anything to go by, Wild Oats looks set to continue her dominance of the blue water classic. She was much faster than all her rivals, taking the race by a near four-minute margin.

It is a pity that we did not get to see Wild Oats strut her stuff against Comanche, but that just whets the appetite for Boxing Day, and to be fair to Comanche and her crew, the lighter winds, on a crowded harbour, are not her ideal sailing conditions.

In the minor placings, Chinese Whisper, Ichi Ban and Rambler showed that they will be among the contenders for overall honours come Boxing Day.

While today was a bit of fun, a good opportunity to exercise the crew and give the yachts a shake down, it all starts to get serious now, with less than two weeks to the start of the great race south.

Results

Line Honours

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Fin Tim	Elapsd
1	AUS10001	WILD OATS XI	Robert Oatley	13:32:23	1:02:23
2	USA25555	RAMBLER	George David	13:36:13	1:06:13
3	SYD1000	PERPETUAL LOYAL	Anthony Bell	13:38:13	1:08:13
4	SYD100	RAGAMUFFIN 100	Syd Fischer	13:39:23	1:09:23
5	52570	BLACK JACK	Peter Harburg	13:43:19	1:13:19
6	AUS13	CHINESE WHISPER	Rupert Henry	13:45:17	1:15:17
7	AUS01	ICHI BAN.	Matt Allen	13:49:00	1:19:00
8	10000	BRINDABELLA	Jim Cooney	13:53:14	1:23:14

IRC Handicap

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Fin Tim	Elapsd	AHC	Cor’d T
1	AUS13	CHINESE WHISPER	Rupert Henry	13:45:17	1:15:17	1.492	1:52:19
2	AUS01	ICHI BAN.	Matt Allen	13:49:00	1:19:00	1.5	1:58:30
3	USA25555	RAMBLER	George David	13:36:13	1:06:13	1.826	2:00:55
4	AUS10001	WILD OATS XI	Robert Oatley	13:32:23	1:02:23	1.97	2:02:54
5	52570	BLACK JACK	Peter Harburg	13:43:19	1:13:19	1.742	2:07:43
6	SYD1000	PERPETUAL LOYAL	Anthony Bell	13:38:13	1:08:13	1.901	2:09:41
7	SYD100	RAGAMUFFIN 100	Syd Fischer	13:39:23	1:09:23	1.929	2:13:50

PHSTCF Handicap

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Fin Tim	Elapsd	AHC	Cor’d T
1	10000	BRINDABELLA	Jim Cooney	13:53:14	1:23:14	1.4065	1:57:04
2	AUS13	CHINESE WHISPER	Rupert Henry	13:45:17	1:15:17	1.5907	1:59:45
3	SYD1000	PERPETUAL LOYAL	Anthony Bell	13:38:13	1:08:13	1.8195	2:04:07
4	AUS01	ICHI BAN.	Matt Allen	13:49:00	1:19:00	1.5715	2:04:09
5	AUS10001	WILD OATS XI	Robert Oatley	13:32:23	1:02:23	2.02	2:06:01
6	52570	BLACK JACK	Peter Harburg	13:43:19	1:13:19	1.7645	2:09:22
7	USA25555	RAMBLER	George David	13:36:13	1:06:13	2	2:12:26
8	SYD100	RAGAMUFFIN 100	Syd Fischer	13:39:23	1:09:23	1.91	2:12:31

Join the conversation