Wild Oats should have taken penalty turns

WILD Oats XI could have avoided the protest hearing that cost them Sydney to Hobart line honours, the skipper of new race winner LDV Comanche, Jim Cooney said.

Wild Oats XI was sensationally hit with a one-hour time penalty on Thursday over a near-collision between the two supermaxis early in the race.

After a marathon threehour hearing, an international jury ruled Wild Oats XI breached the rules during a tacking manoeuvre in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day. XI had come from behind to finish a mere 26 minutes and 34 seconds ahead of LDV Comanche on Wednesday night.

But the added one hour meant their standings were switched.

Cooney said Wild Oats XI had the opportunity to complete two penalty turns when his crew flew a red flag on the water, signalling their intent to lodge a protest at the race’s end.

“There was an immediate resolution available to Wild

which was to just do pen- alty turns clear of the rest of the fleet,” he told RSN radio’s Breakfast Club yesterday morning.

“They would have exonerated themselves of their mistake.”

Cooney said Wild Oats could have then completed the race comfortable in the knowledge there would be no protest hearing.

“I didn’t pursue the protest expecting it would overturn the race result,” he said.

“That wasn’t why I lodged the protest at all.

“We are talking about the two most significant supermaxis in the world ... boats at that level and crews at that level should understand, respect and abide by the rules.

“I think my action was purely to highlight that we all have obligations to keep ourselves and others in the race safe.

“It wasn’t a race-winning tactic to go into the protest room. It was something that I adopted as a matter of principle.”

It’s just the third time in the prestigious race’s 73-year history a yacht has lost line honours due to a penalty.

Wild Oats XI’s sailor Matt Mason fired a stinging attack on LDV Comanche yachtsman and fellow America’s Cup combatant Jimmy Spithill.

“We reckon Jimmy’s getting a little bit desperate for a win. But, anyway, he can take that, that’s cool,” Mason told the New Zealand Herald.

“We were confused that they gave us an hour. We thought the penalty, if we were in the wrong and did our turns, would have probably cost us five minutes.”

Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards has vowed to cop the decision on the chin.

“We are very disappointed but I can see the jury’s point of view,” he said.

“Everyone’s a genius in hindsight. We made our decisions and have to live with them today.”

Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban was presented with the Tattersall Cup for overall winner yesterday.