bow wow wow

The recent report in SA on the re-emergence of Wild Oats XI after a two-year Covid hibernation has brought out all the gawking rubber-neckers. The supermaxi is always a sentimental favorite for the Sydney-Hobart Race and the local offshore sailing fans love to eyeball the boat searching for the latest changes.

To recap, here’s how WOXI looked in her original state more than a decade ago:

Back then the forestay terminated just aft of the plumb stem and the pulpit sat in a conventional position at the limit of the boat’s maximum 100-foot LOA allowed under the eligibility rule. The headsail was soft-hanked to the forestay.

Then, in late 2016, a re-configured Wild Oats XI emerged after a major re-build:

Now, the boat had a clipper bow and the pulpit was re-positioned well forward of the point where an imaginary vertical line from the stem would meet the deck. The forestay remained in its original relative position…

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