Skandia in sight of Sydney Hobart Line Honours win

9:09 AM Sat 27 Dec 2008 GMT

'Skandia just after the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart 2008' &copy Rolex/Daniel Forster

Grant Wharington's Skandia is causing quite an upset in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2008, surprising everyone by leading arch rival Wild Oats XI in the quest for line honours victory. Bob Oatley's record winning supermaxi has had a rather different view than the one they are used to - the stern of Skandia in the Bass Strait.

Wharington's supermaxi is designed by Don Jones and was launched in October 2003. At that time Skandia was the first one of her kind; a carbon fibre 30 metre canting keel rocket ship. Wharington and his crew became the first Victorians to win line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart in 2003.

Five years later, Wharington has seen it all - capsized in 2004 and damaged in 2005, 2006 and 2007 - he and his loyal crew of Victorians had been all but discounted from attaining their Holy Grail for the second time.

But Ms Skandia has kicked up her heels and showed us all that she is far from past it - leading the fleet as she powers along despite carrying her delivery spectra mainsail which Wharington chose to sail with to improve her handicap, leaving her carbon fibre, power square topped main at home. She is giving the high budget, professionally crewed, younger Wild Oats XI quite a show.

But it's far from over yet, as Wharington knows well, and to his cost, anything can happen in the 'great race'.

'Skandia is going really well, and our Navigator GT (Graeme Taylor, Wharington's best friend and business partner) has made some awesome calls on current and wind shifts. So far we have just had a fantastic run, with no breakdowns and the crew working together brilliantly as always. We still have a long way to go though so we will keep on keeping on and hopefully everything will work well for us. Richo from Wild Oats and his crew are a great bunch of sailors, one of the best in the world, and the battle up the Derwent is yet to come, If you see Lady Luck - please put in a good word for Skandia.'

by Bindy Lockhart

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

Sailing

The Beaufort Scale: How We Learned to Rank Wind

Sailing

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before It's Too Late

Sailing

Overnight at Anchor: Setting Up Right

Sailing

QLD Coast in Winter: Dry Season Tactics

Sailing

VHF Radio on the Water: Channels and Calls

Sailing

Reefing: Read the Signs, Act Early

Nearby
North Head, NSW	9 kn SSE
Little Bay, NSW	8 kn SSE
Cronulla, NSW	10 kn SE
Windiest in Australia
Maatsuyker Island, TAS	43 kn NW	11°
Most Windless in Australia
Fawkner Beacon, VIC	Calm
Hottest in Australia
Wyndham Airport, WA	14 kn ESE	35°
Coldest in Australia
Mount Read, TAS	11 kn WNW	5°
Wettest in Australia
Laverton, WA	5.6 mm

Skandia in sight of Sydney Hobart Line Honours win

Heave-To: Sailing's Emergency Pause Button

Read the Wind: Judge Its Force Without a Gauge

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before You Must

Live Weather

Nearby

Windiest in Australia

Most Windless in Australia

Hottest in Australia

Coldest in Australia

Wettest in Australia

Sailing Articles

Buy & Sell

2022 Hawaiian Hypr 11'6

2025 Ensis Spin

2025 Slingshot Code Nxt

Quatro Pyramid 87L & 99L

2023 Cabrinha Motox - 24 North Bar - Harness -Pump

2026 Duotone Neo

2026 F-One F-One Eagle V2 Uhm With New T2 Connectio

Weather

Activities

About

Other

Support