Wild Oats XI is set to bring home line honours in the 2018 Sydney to Hobart yacht race after pulling off a tactical masterstroke before sunrise to outmanoeuvre Black Jack and arch rival Comanche.
With Comanche, Black Jack and InfoTrack behind, Wild Oats XI is closing in on the finish line as skipper Mark Richards and crew look set to claim line honours for the New South Wales-based team.
Comanche had been in front most of Thursday, but was overtaken in a bold move early this morning by Wild Oats XI, which is out to avenge last year's disappointment of being penalised out of contention — with a rule breach resulting in Comanche sensationally awarded 2017 line honours.
As Comanche led the group of four down the Tasmanian east coast overnight, Wild Oats XI took a more easterly track.
The move paid off, with the super maxi swinging in and snatching the front as the yachts prepared to round Tasman Island.
Last year's handicap winner and this year's favourite for the title, Ichi Ban, has taken the lead in the race for handicap honours.
New South Wales yacht Calypso has retired due to steering issues, further reducing the field of 85 to 80.
Dastardly Derwent a wind thief
Once in the Derwent River, it is 11.2 nautical miles to the race finish line at Castray Esplanade, which is monitored by observers who sound the siren when the winner passes.
However, after averaging between 14 and 16 knots for much of this year's race, the yachts will slow down in the river, which is known to literally take the wind out of sails.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast variable winds of about 10 knots tending south easterly 10 to 15 knots in the late morning.
