Sydney to Hobart delivers big-time as Wild Oats XI holds on in supermaxi duel to win for a ninth time

It was a race of drama, controversy, super fast rides and a late-night bashings. There was even a thick sea fog. As usual, the Sydney to Hobart had it all. AMANDA LULHAM wraps the race.

• 1998 remembered: A race on cruel seas
• 1998 remembered: Winston Churchill skipper
• 1998 remembered: Teenage skipper Liz Wardley

It was a race of drama, controversy, super fast rides and a late-night bashing in the aptly named Storm Bay.

There was even a thick sea fog.

As usual, the Sydney to Hobart had it all - including the almost yearly collision between a boat and a sunfish.

1998 REMEMBERED: Inside the deadly storm

1998 REMEMBERED: The veteran and the kid

1998 REMEMBERED: The extraordinary rescue

Only the supermaxis and a few big boats escaped a late sting in the tail with many of the fleet smashed by 40-50 knots winds in the final 50 miles of the 628-nautical miles race.

From a postcard perfect start to a coffee-book finish 2018 race will be one to remember - for a variety of reasons.

Wild Oats XI sails up the Derwent towards the finishing line.

Line honours

Wild Oats XI, NSW, 01:19:07:21

Black Jack, QLD, 01:19:35:06

Comanche NSW, 01:19:36:06

Overall honours

Alive, TAS

Wild Oats X, NSW

Voodoo, Vic

1998 REMEMBERED: Tragedy still haunts round the world skipper

1998 REMEMBERED: The lessons learned from deadly storm

Picture perfect

You would be hard pressed to witness a start as stunning on Sydney Harbour in a building nor’easterly. The fleet started off three lines with the supermaxis stealing the show as they

battled for the honours of being the first out into open water under blue skies and in good winds

Woman overboard

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop made the biggest splash of the race - literally. As ambassador of the all-women Wild Oats X she got to experience a start with the team. She was then forced to jump off less than an hour into the race. FULL STORY HERE

Julie Bishop jumps off the back of Wild Oats X.

Derwent River dazzler

For the first time four supermaxis were on the Derwent River in an extraordinary finish to the race. The first three yachts - Wild Oats X1, Black Jack and Comanche - crossed the line within 42 minutes of each other.

WILD THING: Women blaze their way into history

QUEENS OF REINVENTION: Sydney to Hobart’s leading ladies

Nine-time winner

The first yacht to arrive in Hobart was Wild Oats XI, crossing the finish line on December 28 at 08:07.21. She completed the 628nm race almost 30 minutes ahead of her nearest rival, the

Queensland yacht Black Jack. It was her ninth line honours win but the first since 2014. FULL STORY HERE

Thrilling battle

Wild Oats claimed victory but it was the battle for second which was the most thrilling of the race. The pursuing 100 footers Black Jack and defending champion Comanche were separated by just 63 seconds in the end after 628 nautical miles of racing. FULL STORY HERE

Controversy

She has been there before and Wild Oats X1 was again at the centre of a major drama when protested by the race committee over not having an Automatic identification System on - a mandatory rule. The protest was ruled invalid as a competitor, not the race committee,

must lodge a protest themselves in these circumstances. FULL STORY HERE

Alive delivered for the locals in finishing fourth.

The locals

Retired gambler Phillip Turner delivered Tasmania only its fourth-ever overall win in the race with his 66-footer Alive. A late starter in sailing when introduced to the sport in his late 30s,

Turner watched the race “five or six years ago” and thought “I’d like to win that one day.” Now he has. FULL STORY HERE

Slow coach

The 40 foot NSW yacht Chancellor was the last boat into Hobart in 79th place. She arrived early on New Year’s Eve after spending more than four days and 12 hours at sea.

Sunfish strike

The crew of Tasmanian yacht 2Unlimited hit a sunfish, snapped off their rudder and had to be to rescued by the police launch,Van Diemen. “The sunfish clipped the keel and on the way past took out the rudder,” said skipper Greg Prescott said. “Then we saw the sunfish

and rudder floating around.”

Spooky fog

A thick sea fog descended on the fleet the second night. Sailors reported it was so think they could not see the top of their masts. Others said it was eerie as they sailed through. And while it was quite warm they were soaked within minutes of it descending.

Stacey Jackson and her crew on Wild Oats X finished sixth overall.

Wild women

Stacey Jackson and her crack team on Wild Oats X finished sixth over the line and second overall in the race. It was an extraordinary result for a crew of top women from Australia and overseas who only spent around 12 days on the boat together before the Boxing Day start. FULL STORY HERE

Sting in the tail

The leaders got in unscathed but the majority of the fleet copped a smashing as they sailed across Storm Bay. Sailors recorded being hit by 40 to 50 knots as they headed to the finish

line.

Broken bones

We’ve heard the stories of footballers playing with broken jaws but what about the sailor who raced to a line honours win on Wild Oats XI with a broken ankle. On arrival in Hobart Steve Jarvin told us he injured it the first day and “it hurts and it’s not a nice colour”. But even Jarvin didn’t expect it was as serious as it turned out - he has since undergone surgery and had two rods inserted.

Lesson learned

The boat had barely docked but InfoTrack owner Christian Beck declared his yachts mandatory paperwork has been done and submitted. A year ago he went from fourth to 24th when his boat incurred a penalty for putting in his finish declaration in late.

It just wasn’t Scallywag’s race. They pulled out on day one.

Drama Queen

It was a race to forget for the team on the supermaxi Scallywag who bought the yacht to Australia for the event. After drama in the leadup when two sails ripped, the bowsprit on the yacht broke off just hours after the race and they were forced to retire.

Family matters

It was a voyage 20 years in the making in memory of a father he lost at sea back in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Sydney sailor Peter Dean honoured his father John, one of three men who died in the wake of the Winston Churchill sinking two decades ago, by competing in his first Sydney to Hobart this year. FULL STORY HERE

Milestone

Sydney legend Adrienne Cahalan completed her 28th Sydney to Hobart on the Victorian yacht Voodoo. She navigated the boat to third place overall.

History

Tony Ellis was given the honour of steering Triton across the line as he completed his 51st Sydney to Hobart. This equalled the record of Tony Cable who did not race this year.

Surfing champion John John Florence.

Sport celebrity

Two-time world surf champion John John Florence gave the race a spot of celebrity. He raced aboard the 60-footer Winning Appliances and declared he loved every minuet of his experience.

Rough and tough

Former Wallaby player Mick Martin says he loved his rough ride on the 52-footer Frantic. “If you don’t get smashed it is not a Hobart,” said Martin who encountered 30-35 knots on the Derwent River finish straight.