Staff Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia’s super-maxi LDV Comanche won line honors for the Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic on Thursday after Wild Oats XI was given a one-hour time penalty as a result of a protest by an international jury.
When Wild Oats finished the 630 nautical mile (1,170 km) race on Wednesday at 9.48 p.m. (10.48 GMT), it broke the previous record. It had taken the boat one day, eight hours, 48 minutes, and 50 seconds.
Just over 26 minutes after Comanche, which had been in the lead for the majority of the race when both boats capsized in erratic gusts on the River Derwent, the race was over.
However, Comanche had complained about the two super-maxis almost colliding when Wild Oats finished a tack around 15 minutes after the race began.
Sydney Harbour, where.
The Mark Richards-skippered Wild Oats, which had previously won the race eight times, received a one-hour penalty on Thursday after the panel supported the protest.
“Wild Oats XI had to keep clear, failed to keep clear while tacking, Oats did not do turn,” race organizers claimed.
“One hour is deducted for each decision. The winner of line honors is Comanche.
Since Rothmans in 1990, it was the first time a boat had lost line honors.
“I didn’t expect to protest in order to win the race, it was all about our actions to avoid a collision and the fact that that was necessary,” Comanche owner Jim Cooney stated.
“I believe that the rules are in place to safeguard people’s lives, and if we can’t rely on that, then the sport will be challenging.
“We did deserve the win, so it was a relief that all the hard work of the crew, the support crew, and my family was justified,” the crew member said.
At the time of the event, Richards had previously told media that he would have received a 720-degree turn penalty.
if they believed they were at fault.
When questioned whether he wished he had taken the turn penalty at the time, Richards replied, “Everyone is a genius in hindsight.” We had talked about it, but we made that choice, so now you must live with it.
Black Jack, InfoTrack, and Beau Geste were among the five boats that broke the previous mark of one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes, and 20 seconds.
