Wild Oats XI lowers own mark

Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards says making amends for last year’s defeat was the spur for the supermaxi’s record-breaking charge to a sixth Sydney to Hobart line honours win.

Wild Oats crossed the line just before 7.30am (local time) yesterday in a race record time of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds, breaking the mark it set in 2005 by nearly 17 minutes.

The win adds to line honours victories in 2005-08 and 2010, and comes after Investec Loyal pipped Oats by minutes in 2011.

‘‘It was a really tough, testing race for the team and the crew and the gear handling,’’ Richards said at Constitution Dock.

‘‘It was a very, very tricky night last night and we got here and after last year’s defeat the boys were on a real mission this year to redeem ourselves.’’ Owner Bob Oatley agreed. ‘‘It made it even sweeter and next year will be sweeter again to get seven,’’ he said.

Wild Oats’ crew had all but given up on breaking the race record after rounding Tasman Island at 3.30am (local time) yesterday.

Westerlies of 10-15 knots late on Thursday night replaced the strong northerlies that had powered the boat to a position hours ahead of its record pace.

But, as tactician Iain Murray had predicted, Oats picked up the forecast southwesterlies and increased its speed as it tacked along the River Derwent.

A handful of spectator craft were on hand to escort the boat to the finish line, where a crowd lined the shore.

Richards and his crew were presented with the John Illingworth trophy at a ceremony on the dock soon after.

Richards remained confident Wild Oats was still a chance for handicap honours after it moved back into third place behind Jazz and Calm.

Oatley said the new record was there to be broken.

‘‘We’ll try to beat it again next year,’’ he said.

Two boats retired on Thursday night, the first casualties of the race, leaving 74 of the fleet still competing.

Last year’s handicap runner-up Living Doll pulled out with a broken rudder and was expected to berth at Eden.

Victorian boat Primitive Cool had quit with a damaged mainsail and was also heading to Eden.

Meanwhile, the 2011 line honours winner, Ragamuffin Loyal, crossed the finish line in second place yesterday.

The Syd Fischer-skippered super-maxi, which won a protest after pipping Wild Oats XI by just over three minutes 12 months ago, reached Hobart in one day, 23 hours and eight minutes.

Its finish came more than 41⁄ hours after the Wild Oats XI crew began celebrating their record win.