Etihad to start new race vs Wild Oats

Maxi yacht Etihad Stadium is set to renew her rivalry with Wild Oats XI in the
Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race starting on Saturday following her luckless Sydney
to Hobart campaign.

The Victorian maxi retired after just over an hour of the Sydney to Hobart due to
mast-related issues.
Skipper Grant Wharington declared on Boxing Day that his stricken boat would line up
for the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour event provided he could replace the damaged
runner blocks.
Wharington revealed all of the repair and maintenance work needed on his boat had
been completed by December 27.
"It was mainly the re-tuning of the mast. It took us about six hours on the 27th and
we were able to sort out the rest of the issues on that day," Wharington told AAP on
Friday.
"If we have had one day up our sleeve, or if we hadn't have gone home for Christmas
Day, I suppose we would have made it, but unfortunately it wasn't to be our year."
"We are just looking forward to getting out there and enjoying the boat and seeing
how it's going to perform against Wild Oats XI, we are very keen to get out on the
water."
Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards was also looking forward to resuming their rivalry.
"It was always our plan to do the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour regardless of the
result in the Hobart race," Richards said.
Wild Oats XI headed back to Sydney within six hours of finishing second across the
line to New Zealand's Alfa Romeo in the battle for Sydney to Hobart line honours on
Monday night.
The Bob Oatley owned boat, which won the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour event in 2007,
made it back to Sydney on Thursday afternoon.
Wharington hoped his boat, which finished second across the line to Wild Oats XI in
the 2008 Sydney to Hobart, would give her rival "a run for their money" in the
battle for Coffs line honours.
However, he said if the race threw up a lot of light reaching conditions, his boat
probably wouldn't have all the appropriate sails.
The race fleet of 50 will start the race off Broken Bay, north of Sydney, at 1pm
(AEST) on Saturday.
The existing race record of 18h 29m 30s, set in 2003 by one of Oatley's other boats,
Wild Oats IX, could well be threatened this year.