Sydney to Hobart race: Perpetual Loyal takes lead after Wild Oats XI's poor start

Race favourite Wild Oats XI suffered a “terrible start” before moving into second place in the early stages of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Sunny skies over Sydney greeted some 1,000 sailors aboard 88 entrants for the start of the 72nd edition of the race. Perpetual Loyal made the most of the harbour’s fresh north, north-easterly sea breeze harnessing the 10 knot winds to lead the four boat super maxi contingent at the starting marker.

Loyal and Scallywag threw down the challenge to Wild Oats XI, the eight-time winner, from the starting canon.

The two super maxis pinched Wild Oats XI at the pin end starting marker – forcing Mark Richards, the skipper of the eight-time line honours winner into what he dubbed a “terrible start”.

The race record holder had no choice but to tack behind the other two super maxis to avoid entering the spectator fleet zone, and from there she was seriously under pace and struggling to make up ground.

Ludde Ingvall’s experimental 100 footer CQS had an even more disappointing start to the race, with a keel issue squeezing them towards the starting line early. She was obliged to maneuver backwards from the starting blast to avoid a recall – leaving her well behind the three other boats in her class.

Anthony Bell’s Loyal, forced to retire during the last two editions of the bluewater classic, finally had something to celebrate – making a dream start to open up a significant margin over the other super maxis within the first ten minutes of the race.

From there, and assisted by tactician and Olympic gold medalist and Amercia’s Cup sailor Tom Slingsby, she enjoyed clean air at the gateway to the heads as Loyal began her turn south to Hobart in a morale boosting first position.

Hong Kong entry Beau Geste surprised the super maxis. The 80-footer claimed the bragging rights of second yacht out of the heads – although she couldn’t hold that position for long.

Loyal, now full of sailors who raced aboard 2015 race winner Comanche, initially struggled deploying her spinnaker after the Zulu seamark – and that was a mistake that was pounced on by Oats.

The crew of Wild Oats XI, with 204 Sydney to Hobart races between them, used all their experience to move into second, passing Scallywag who also had a furling issue on her kite after clearing the heads.

The oldest and smallest boat in the fleet, Maluka of Kermandie – made eighty years ago out of Huon pine and skippered by Sean Langman – wasn’t the final boat to make the southerly point to Hobart that distinction went to Simplesail Mahligai with a Russian crew aboard.

It is likely to be a drag race between Perpetual Loyal and Wild Oats XI on Boxing Day evening with winds accelerating to 25 to 30 knots this afternoon before expecting to softenup around midnight.

The strong running conditions are leaving many experts pointing towards a new race record.

The current record belongs to Wild Oats XI with a time of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes. Any chance of a new record will hinge on the weather conditions around Tasmania where it is forecast for winds to become lighter.