Race jury awards Comanche victory
LDV Comanche has been awarded Sydney to Hobart line honours after Wild Oats XI was penalised an hour over a near collision between the supermaxis.
Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line in record-breaking time on Wednesday night, almost 27 minutes ahead of
LDV Comanche. But a successful protest from LDV Comanche resulted in their standings being reversed.
Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said he and the yacht’s crew were extremely disappointed but accepted the verdict, handed down by an international jury after long deliberations yesterday afternoon.
“Not very often do you smash a Sydney to Hobart record and then get it taken away from you but it’s happened to us,” Richards said.
“We’re very disappointed but we have to cop it on the chin.”
It’s just the third time in the race’s 73 edition history that a yacht has lost line honours due to a penalty.
LDV Comanche skipper and owner Jim Cooney described the decision as “fair”.
“It’s always a bit of a shame it may happen in these circumstances,” he said.
“The jury decided very clearly that there was an infringement in the harbour that penalised us.
“When things come down to the wire so closely like that I think it’s only fair and reasonable that the jury acted the way they did.”
The jury found Wild Oats XI breached race rules during a tacking move in the opening hour of the race.
Several witnesses gave evidence in a three-hour hearing, including Cooney and navigators from both yachts.
LDV Comanche alleged
Wild Oats XI failed to keep clear when tacking – forcing Cooney to avoid a potential collision – and then didn’t complete a two-turn penalty.
Wild Oats XI had slashed almost five hours off the record time set by Perpetual LOYAL last year. That record now goes to LDV Comanche with a time of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds. Wild Oats XI had come from behind to pip LDV Comanche in a nailbiting climax. Fuelled by a strong northeasterly, the pair were neck and neck down Tasmania’s east coast until they ground to a halt heading up the River Derwent.
A lighter Wild Oats XI picked up a breeze to crawl into first place as her wider rival slowed to a near stop.