Perpetual Loyal wins in record time
Auckland-built Australian supermaxi Perpetual Loyal has taken line honors in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race with its winning time nearly five hours faster than the previous record.
New Zealand’s Volvo Giacomo finished in second.
The Anthony Bell-owned and skippered boat from Sydney crossed the finish line around 2.30am yesterday in an official time of one day 13 hours 31 minutes and 20 seconds.
The result carved almost five hours off the previous record of one day 18 hours 23 minutes 12 seconds set by Wild Oats XI in 2012.
Bell said he won’t defend the race title, with the owner-skipper instead pointing toward a ‘‘new and hot’’ sailing challenge.
After crossing the line and pulling into Hobart’s Constitution Dock at about 3am (local time) Bell was thrown into the water by his 18-member crew but he remained composed right up until asked if he will be back in 2017.
‘‘With all my heart, no,’’ an emotional 70 entry Bell replied. ’’We called last shots for the boat last year, we said ‘this is going to be our last trip to Hobart’ and we didn’t make it to Hobart so we thought we should come back.
‘‘This boat is a great boat and it needs the next owner, someone to pick it up and jump into it with passion and enthusiasm.
‘‘We’ve got some detailed plans about something new and hot that I’m going to do in sailing.’’
Eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats XI was more than four hours ahead of her record when forced to withdraw on Tuesday morning with hydraulic problems impacting the ability to control the keel.
Perpetual Loyal inherited a comfortable lead, making up for its misfortunes of the last two years when it had to quit the race. In 2015 it was forced out with rudder damage and, in 2014, it withdrew after striking a submerged object.
This year it was able to take full advantage of favorable wind conditions which propelled the 88-boat fleet at a record pace.
‘‘We got a good set of weather conditions,’’ Bell said.
‘‘Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck and we’ve certainly had our fair share of bad luck.’’
Bell said he was immediately aware of the misfortune that struck Wild Oats XI and handed Perpetual Loyal the race lead. The failure of a hydraulic ram affected the movement of the yacht’s keel and forced it to pull out of the race and head for the port of Eden.
‘‘We saw the boat tilt right over, we saw them come to a sudden stop,’’ Bell said. ‘‘Our first worry was that it might have lost a crew member overboard.
‘‘We radioed them and said, ‘Hey if you’re in trouble we’re prepared to stop the race and go over and help the guys’ but the fortunate thing is no one got hurt.’’
Wild Oats arrived safely in Eden late Tuesday night. Owner Sandy Oatley, who was not aboard, was shocked the yacht was forced out of the race for the second straight year.
‘‘Last year we tore the mainsail and we’ve done a lot of preparation and training in that regard and the boys were very happy with that,’’ Oatley said. ‘‘This hydraulic failure has come out of left field.’’