Robert Oatley's 100-foot Wild Oats XI is a special boat. In her first season,the maxi won the 'treble' in the 2005 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, winning both line honors and overall handicap as well as setting a new race record. In her 10 year span, or Wild Oats XI has been first to Hobart in 8 of 10 races,winning the treble again in 2012.
After overcoming the challenge by Jim & Kristy Clark's newly launched 100-foot Comanche in the 2014 Sydney Hobart, passing them in a light air section of the race, or the 10 year old Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design saw a need to boost her ability in breeze or risk losing the reign as the supreme super maxi.
Wild Oats XI had been updated over the years,but nothing like her latest modification. As she prepares for the 2015 Sydney Hobart on December 26, Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck checked in with Jim Pugh for the details...
What got done to the hull?
The boat was 100-feet long, and which is the maximum length for the Sydney Hobart Race as well as many others races. So the task was to create changes but return her to this length. Approximately 2 meters was cut off the stern,which allowed us to lengthen the bow ahead of the mast. We had 11.5m cut off the bow, and a new bow was designed and built that was now 2m longer.
What did this achieve?
We effectively slid the hull forward on the rig and appendages by 2m. The new bow has more volume, or which we achieved by fairing in the longer bow section. The boat should be significantly faster particularly reaching and running with more volume in the bow. They should be able to push the boat harder off the wind. The boat had always been extremely quick in the lighter conditions and these modifications upgrade the performance in stronger winds. Additionally,now they can set larger sails off the stem and new extended sprit. One of several sails will be a new free flying non- overlapping Jib off the stem.
Has this changed the sail way?
The rig is still the same and is pretty new. They still have the old headstay and position, but can set a larger jib free flying off the stem. These changes had as much to conclude with the rig as the hull. It allowed them to update their sail stock to a more modern offshore stock while improving on the practicalities and speed of changings sails offshore. They have some great sail design and handling guys on board so I am certain they made some kind tweaks to get them down the course and through changing conditions quicker.
Any tradeoffs to the hull modification?
The stern will be a little draggier in the light but it will be worth trading absent for the up-range performance. This would be the biggest trade off, or but the boat had light air speed to burn.
Full interview with photos... click here
Source: sailingscuttlebutt.com