TONY EASTLEY: The super-maxi, Wild Oats, has broken the line-honours race record in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, beating the old mark set by Nokia in 1999.
The 30-metre high-tech sloop crossed the line on the Derwent River at about eight o'clock - one day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds after leaving Sydney on Boxing Day.
Wild Oats, featuring a knifelike hull and a hydraulic canting keel, which allows the boat to carry a lot more sail and remain more upright, was launched just two months ago.
This year's Sydney to Hobart was one of the tamest, as far as conditions were concerned, so what sort of test was it for the high-tech Wild Oats, and how relevant is the new race record?
David Mark reports.
DAVID MARK: The fleet in one of the world's toughest ocean races - the Sydney to Hobart - have experienced the most benign conditions in years.
But the flat seas and light winds were enough to propel the high-tech super maxi, Wild Oats, skippered by Mark Richards and owned by Bob Oatley, to a new race record.
The Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Geoff Lavis, was alongside Wild Oats when the boat crossed the finish line in Hobart's Derwent River, just seconds after eight o'clock this morning.
GEOFF LAVIS: They had a spectacular entry. They were actually coming in under jib only, apparently the head of the Derwent River, they broke a baton in the mains and they've pulled it down, and so they're under jib only.
Having said that, they are still making fantastic time up the river. This is just an amazingly powerful yacht.
DAVID MARK: Wild Oats really has had perfect conditions this year in the race to break the record, hasn't she?
GEOFF LAVIS: Well they've been benign conditions. I don't think that they've been ideal. They really haven't had any strong breeze, and yet they've still been able to hit speeds up to 22 knots.
These boats are capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots, so they've got a lot up their sleeve just yet.
I've got to tell you, this is just a fantastic, fantastic feeling down here. I've just come out here, you could probably ... here she goes, packing now, so things must be very, very close.
There she goes.
(sound of siren)
I guess you can hear ...
(sound of siren)
That was a fantastic finish to a very, very well-powered race, and certainly raised the bar, and but I think these guys will be back next year and they'll have another go at raising it yet again.
DAVID MARK: Wild Oats is arguably one of the most technologically advanced ocean racing boats in the world.
Its canting keel allows the 30-metre boat to stay more upright and carry more sail.
But with all the new technology onboard, how significant is the new race record?
Rob Kothe is the Managing Editor of the sailing website Sail World.
ROB KOTHE: Very interesting question. Back in 2002, Bob Oatley - the Rosemont winemaker - supported the development of the first canting keel boat, and he at the time said this is going to be bigger than Ben Lexon's winged keel, which is the boat, you know the technology that won us the America's Cup. And people laughed at the time, but he's been absolutely proven right. And the top three boats in this race - Wild Oats, Alfa Romeo and Scandia - are all using the same technology. And Australia's leading the world in this area.
DAVID MARK: Is this new record as significant as the old record? Should it be taken with a grain of salt?
ROB KOTHE: No, no, no, no. I mean the reality is that back from when Rani set the record in 1945, technology has moved on, and the interesting thing is that there's a great deal of trickledown in this technology, and there's 45-footers in this race using the same technology. And certainly, we've now got the 628-mile Sydney to Hobart sprint.
TONY EASTLEY: Rob Kothe, the Managing Editor of the sailing website Sail World, ending David Mark's report.