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Trio injured as Maximus dismasted Wild Oats closes on Hobart finish
(1 day later)
Three injured sailors were airlifted by helicopter from the maxi yacht Maximus after it was dismasted in heavy seas during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Australia's Wild Oats was on course for a rare second successive victory in the Sydney-Hobart yacht race.
The crew members had chest, pelvic and back injuries and are being taken to hospital in Canberra. The 30-metre yacht has led for most of the race's 628 nautical miles and was expected to finish early on Friday.
ABN Amro was also dismasted and retired from the race. It held a lead of about 10 nautical miles over another Australian maxi, Skandia, and the 70-footer Ichi Ban.
Early on the second day of the blue water classic, defending champion Wild Oats XI was leading by about four nautical miles from Skandia. Headwinds and rough seas have robbed Wild Oats of the chance to challenge its own race record of 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds.
In 1998, six sailors died and seven boats were sunk or abandoned when a severe storm hit the race. Wild Oats was at least able to avoid the trouble which claimed nine boats on Wednesday from a starting fleet of 78.
Organisers were not expecting severe weather this time but strong winds decreased early on Wednesday, easing conditions for the 75 yachts still in the race. New Zealand maxi Maximus and Dutch entry ABN Amro had both briefly taken the lead before they were dismasted in rough seas.
ABN Amro skipper Mike Sanderson said his crew was "bitterly disappointed" to be returning to Sydney instead of racing on to Hobart. Skandia, the 2003 winner, was probably too far back to mount a serious challenge but was sailing well and was about 10 miles ahead of the smaller Ichi Ban despite losing its forward rudder.
"We had a great first night on the water and we had managed to keep right up there," he said. Conditions were much calmer during the fleet's second night at sea, with winds expected to build to up to 20 knots later on Thursday.
But he added that "the most important thing is that all the crew are safe and we have had no injuries". The fleet was battered by headwinds of up to 30 knots and swells of about three metres late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday which forced nine yachts to retire.
Last year, Wild Oats XI became the first boat in the race's history to complete the triple of line and handicap honours and a race record. The crew of Australian entry Koomooloo abandoned their 38-year-old timber yacht after it began sinking.
It wiped more than an hour off the previous time to win the 628-nautical mile (723 mile; 1,163km) race last year in one day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds. Eight crew members on board Maximus were injured and three were winched from its decks by helicopter after it was dismasted early on Wednesday. All crew were later reported safe.