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Paca
NSW
- Sail number
- 6812
- Type
- Beneteau First 40
- Owner
- Philippe Mengual
Protests dismissed – Wild Oats XI announced line honours winner
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Following a tense wait, then a protest hearing by the International Jury of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, then another tense wait while the jury deliberated, Wild Oats XI has been exonerated and is now officially the line honours winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
news
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Following a tense wait, then a protest hearing by the International Jury of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, then another tense wait while the jury deliberated, Wild Oats XI has been exonerated and is now officially the line honours winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Shortly after 5.00pm yesterday, Tim Cox AM RANR, Chairman of the Race Committee of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, delivered the news that the Race Committee had lodged two protests; one against Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI and one against Niklas Zennstrom’s Rán.
Cox explained that both yachts had breached Rules 44.1 (a) and 44.2 of the Sailing Instructions which relate to ‘Mandatory Reporting from Green Cape’ via HF radio.
The news left Wild Oats XI line honours victory in limbo, owner Bob Oatley, skipper Mark Richards and the crew not able to indulge in the normal celebrations associated with crossing the 628 nautical mile race finish line.
Instead, although they raised their hands in celebration, with Richards holding up five fingers, denoting five line honours victories in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 66th race south, it was a fairly subdued crew that left for dinner minus the usual hullaballoo.
Now the crew can let down their hair to a certain extent. Wild Oats XI and some of the crew have already left Tasmania to prepare for their next race.
However, the Oatley family, Richards, navigator Adrienne Cahalan and ‘brains trust’ Ian ‘Fresh’ Burns will likely celebrate over dinner this evening. It was Burns who presented the Wild Oats XI case to the jury this afternoon. Both Cahalan and Richards were called as witnesses.
Richards breathed a deep sigh of relief and appeared close to tears when Chairman John Kirkjian announced “Protest Dismissed.” He had little to say as he took in the magnitude of those two words.
Now, Richards and his crew will be officially announced the winners at a dockside ceremony at 4.30pm
Ran's navigator Steve Hayles put forward the case on behalf of owner Niklas Zennstrom and was happy to hear that protest was also dismissed.
Below are the findings of the jury in both cases.
FACTS FOUND:
1. WILD OATS XI attempted to radio in at Green Cape by HF Radio without success.
2. WILD OATS XI then contacted the race director by phone in the vicinity of Green Cape and was advised to not continue if the HF radio was not working properly.
3. They then altered course for approximately 20 minutes and found what they believed to be the problem with the radio and that was fixed.
4. Only after fixing the radio and obtaining acknowledgement from Hobart radio at 9:04 that the reception on 6516kHz was received, did they resume racing.
5. WILD OATS XI continued to have intermittent problems with the radio and could hear the remaining radio schedules but her transmission could not always be heard until she reached Tasman Island. She did make alternative arrangements to report to JBW by phone at those times.
6. Shortly after passing Green Cape, the 0735 radio schedule commenced which takes approximately 1hour and 30 minutes.
7. WILD OATS XI took approximately 2 hours to sail the distance between Green Cape and Gabo Island.
BACKGROUND
Following the CYCA enquiry into the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 1998 the CYCA instituted a number of safety measures including a number of requirements for boats to address when passing Green Cape.
These requirements are included in sailing instruction 44 for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010 (copy attached) and include a requirement that a boat has to assess whether ‘its HF Radio is operational and has a signal strength fit for the ensuing purpose’
CONCLUSIONS AND RULES THAT APPLY:
WILD OATS XI tacked and sailed for approximately 20 minutes before reaching Gabo Island until the radio was repaired. She did not return to course until they received acknowledgement from Hobart radio when they were satisfied at that time that the radio was operational and had a signal strength fit for the ensuing purpose.
The acknowledgement from Hobart radio satisfied the requirements of sailing instruction 44.2.
DECISION:
Protest dismissed.
FACTS FOUND:
1. RAN reported by HF radio and received acknowledgement from Hobart radio while in the vicinity of Gabo Island as required by sailing instruction 44.2 and reported all was well and she was proceeding in the race.
2. RAN reported at all subsequent schedules by telephone due to malfunction of her HF radio.
BACKGROUND
Following the CYCA enquiry into the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 1998 the CYCA instituted a number of safety measures including a number of requirements for boats to address when passing Green Cape.
These requirements are included in sailing instruction 44 for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010 (copy attached) and include a requirement that a boat has to assess whether ‘its HF Radio is operational and has a signal strength fit for the ensuing purpose’
CONCLUSIONS AND RULES THAT APPLY:
RAN satisfied the requirements of sailing instruction 44.2 and maintained scheduled reports as provided by sailing instruction 40.6.
DECISION:
Protest dismissed.
The International Jury: John Kirkjian (Chairman), John Rountree, Ronnie McCracken, Selvam Mookken, Tony Mooney.
By Di Pearson, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team