The recent Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu was the last for record-breaking Australian supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, as we know her. She will never look the same again. The 30.5 metre long sloop, recognised as the most successful yacht to have contested the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race over its 70-year history, is on her way to an appointment with a team of boat builders who will transform her into something different and new. Their first task will be to cut two metres from her stern, then extend her forward sections by the same length. There will also be changes made to the hull configuration, sailplan and rig. The project will take three months to complete. “Wild Oats XI’s…

She came like a ghost ship out of the night. The first hint of her approach was the sighting of the green starboard navigation light, then, minutes later, her black carbon fibre sails were barely illuminated by the loom of the lighthouse on Honolulu’s Diamond Head. There was then no denying though that this dimly lit profile was the supermaxi Wild Oats XI; and she finishing the 2225 nautical mile Transpac Race from Los Angeles in impressive fashion – the second yacht of 60 to complete the course, and the fastest to do so. Even less visible at that time, little more than 200 metres back in Wild Oats XI’s wake, was the J/44 class yacht, Patriot (Paul Stemler, USA)….

With a chance of a race record time in the Transpac race from Los Angeles to Hawaii having been snuffed out by an uncooperative tradewind, Australian supermaxi Wild Oats XI was charging towards the finish late today with the fastest time for this year’s 2225 nautical race well in her sights. Also in her sights were two smaller yachts that stood between her and the honour of being the second yacht home in the 60 yacht fleet. Those two opponents – which both started in the race five days before the big boat fleet got underway – were the J44, Patriot (Paul Stemler, USA), and the classic ketch, Marjorie (Norie Baldwin, USA). Each had less than 50 nautical miles to…