The Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has started, minus one boat – Wild Thing Yachting.
Grant Wharington’s multi-modified maxi has been barred from the race in the final hour due to insufficient documentation with regards to all the recent changes.
Wharro has sighted controversy with big boats being targeted. He referred to the treatment that Loyal received after an ABC radio interview where they asked if Wild Oats XI was using a trysail. The Race Committee protested Loyal saying they received outside assistance. The matter was laughed at by the rest of the racing community and the protest was eventually thrown out.
In 2010 it was Wild Oats XI and Ran who where at the receiving end of protest papers after “apparently” failing to radio in at Green Cape. Both protests were eventually dismissed.
Back to Wild Thing Yachting… Wharro claims that all the paperwork had been submitted, and it wasn’t until 1100 hours ESDT that he got the news that he had been scratched from the race. At the final race briefing held this morning Wild Thing’s name wasn’t read out as one of the boats that still had outstanding paperwork.
So why have they been banned from this years race? Obviously there is a lot more to this story that is being said. Over the last 12 months Wild Thing has gone through some extensive alterations. They did have photos of the rebuild on their Facebook page however just days before this years Rolex Sydney to Hobart, the photos were removed.
It will be interesting to see what comes of this one. Knowing Wharro he isn’t going to let this one go without a fight.
But this is the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, nothing can happen without controversy.
A snapshot of Wild Thing’s Sydney to Hobart history
- 2003 – Line Honours Winners
- 2004 – lost its keel and capsized
- 2009 – Dismasted on their delivery to Sydney. They managed to get a replacement mast in time for the race however retired shortly after the start due to… mast problems
- 2010 – collided with a media boat and was unable to continue racing
- 2012 – barred from the race…
It’s a shame for the crew though… They will no doubt be drinking away the afternoon dreaming of what could have been…
The acceptable wording of the structural declaration is prescribed – ie provided – in a format that is unambiguous. Designers can’t write their own ‘she’ll be right’ wording, and expect to circumvent the intention of the document, namely to have someone take responsibility. If the declaration can’t be filled in unambiguously it means the status of the yacht’s structural integrity must be regarded as ambiguous…..
They didn’t comply. End of story. If the Race Committee wasn’t confident in the wording and let them race and the boat fell apart, then it would have been their asses. They can’t afford any more bad press and neither can the sport! They did the right thing. If Wild Thing is going to leave it all the last minute (they had until a few hours before the race to prove everything – sorry but for me that is last minute) then so be it!!! Yeah it’s tough but hey?! Whatcha gonna do??? Cry about it???
still waiting to hear the facts, but if the reports of rating cert not reflecting the mods are correct they had no option but to flick him. You can’t have two sets of rules! That the committee didn’t announce at the briefing may mean they hadn’t been informed of the admin error at that time – dunno, I wasn’t there. That the boat’s admin wasn’t in order is a boat program issue, not the RC’s…. but let’s see what the actual FACTS are…. anybody got any info on timings of paper work/mods/rating applications?
Rating certificate was fine. The issue came from the wording used by the Naval Architect in regards to the construction and its conformity to ABS. The designer wouldn’t sign it off, allegedly due to not having PI insurance so they got another to do it, he couldn’t say the right words as it would not be true ie; “I have designed the mods to meet the requirements” instead he said “I believe that the mods met the requirements” the CYCA seem to have taken that as not adequate enough.
Mate ur problem is the race committee and people are making sure u dont beat em but i used to sail but now i cant but i carnt stand people making there own rules to suite them selves mate sail hard u and ur crew and enjoy the ride because thats some thing ill never do and please stick it up the officals and dont let u or ur crew get u down. and please have a really good new year. and hope fully next year u gies will win and me and my family will be cheering u on sail hard and flat and enjoy ur selves