Wild Oats XI owner Bob Oatley intends to take a crack at winning line honours in the Sydney to Hobart race for an eighth time.
Oatley's boat claimed a record-equalling seventh win on Saturday evening, crossing the finishing line in two days, six hours, seven minutes and 27 seconds.
Wild Oats XI wins the Sydney to Hobart yacht race for the 7th time. Photo: AFP / Carlo Borlenghi / Regattanews.Com
Wilds Oats left early challengers Perpetual LOYAL and Ragamuffin in its wake as it sped down the Tasmanian coast at speeds of 35 knots.
Skipper Mark Richards and a crew with a combined 250 Sydney to Hobart races between them, equalled the seven line honours wins achieved by Morna/Kurrewa IV in the 1940-50s.
"We've done it in shorter time than they did it," Oatley said. "We'll go on and do more now I hope."
AAP reports thousands lined Constitution Dock to watch Wild Oats cross the finish line at 7.07pm (AEDT) on Saturday. LOYAL finished 3 hours 12 minutes later in second place.
Wild Oats also topped her own race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds in 2012.
An eighth line honours win would bolster her status as one of the world's best ocean racers.
Wild Oats, which is nine years-old, was heavily modified before the race.
Richards said the yacht could be even better next year.
"We've still got a lot to learn from the modifications that we've made so I think she'll just keep getting better and better," he said.
