Wild Oats XI was leading the Sydney to Hobart ocean race on Tuesday after surviving a night of violent seas in which one yacht was dismasted and more than a dozen others forced to withdraw.
So far 16 yachts have dropped out of the treacherous dash down Australia’s southeast coast, including Barcardi which lost its mast in six metre (20 foot) waves and gales of some 35 knots late Monday.
“There was an explosion when the deck disintegrated,” skipper Martin Power said of the noise which ripped through the boat as it was battered by the waves.
“I saw the mast go. That was quiet, but when the chainplates peeled the deck away, there was a tremendous noise.”
Power, who has crossed the Bass Strait some 95 times, said he had never encountered such conditions as those which hit on Sunday, forcing a string of vessels to quit the race to the Tasmanian capital Hobart.
Barcardi’s crew were uninjured but took an hour to cut away the Peterson 44’s mast and commit it and the rigging and sails to the deep before heading back to shore.
“We speared down waves at 13 knots, under motor, faster than we had sailed during the race,” Power said.
After the violent evening, the fleet was struggling to find enough wind to cross the Bass Strait Tuesday and the 100-foot maxi Wild Oats XI, which is 22 nautical miles ahead of its nearest rival for line honours, is now not due to reach Hobart until the early hours of Wednesday.
Currently second in line for line honours is Investec Loyal, followed by Lahana, Ichi Ban, Ran and Wild Thing.
“We’re deliberately staying out wide to avoid the softer winds to the west of us,” helmsman on the 98-foot maxi Lahana, Geoff Cropley, said.
“Tactically, we’re exactly where we want to be. We’re in a pretty good position, everyone’s on the rail and we’re going hard.”
Seventy-one boats remain in the 628-nautical mile race from an original starting fleet of 87.
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