Any thoughts of a post-Christmas sleigh ride for the supermaxi yachts contesting the Rolex Sydney Hobart race are decreasing as the Boxing Day start time approaches. A preliminary weather prognosis from acclaimed yachting meteorologist, Roger Badham, indicates that while the fleet of 109 will initially make a fast run south from Sydney, their progress will be slowed dramatically when a cold and powerful southerly change confronts them within hours of the start. It is then likely that the winds will be “on the nose” – from the south – well into the next day. Badham’s current forecast predicts that a strong southerly change averaging around 30 knots will hit the fleet during the afternoon on Boxing Day and persist –…

Australia’s most successful ocean racing yacht, Bob Oatley’s 30-metre supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, is 30-metres no more. The sleek, silver-hulled beauty literally got the chop today at the hands of Bob Oatley and skipper Mark Richards. Armed with a high-revving chainsaw, the pair took to the carbon fibre hull just forward of the mast, and by the time the job was finished one hour later, 10-metres of Wild Oats XI’s bow had been lopped off. It was the first stage of a three month program that will see the yacht back to being 30-metres long, but with a completely different profile: all part of a plan to bring a new lease of life to the record-breaking, 10-year-old yacht and make…