Ragamuffin Loyal skipper Syd Fischer is predicting a good old-fashioned drag race between Wild Oats XI and his boat for line honors when the Sydney to Hobart begins Wednesday in Sydney Harbour.
The two super maxis are favorites with Wild Oats XI having previously won on five occasions and Investec Loyal — as she was known then — claiming line honors last year.
The fleet of 77 yachts is expected to sail into a blustery southeasterly breeze of around 15 knots on Wednesday. The winds will lighten after a few hours but forecast northerlies will boost the fleet along Thursday.
"I think it's going to be a bit of drag race actually, because they are going to be watching us and we're going to be watching them," Fischer said.
The oldest competitor in the race at 85, Fischer is confident his boat is ready to go after an eventful lead-up.
It required repairs to rigging after the mast struck Sydney's Anzac Bridge two weeks ago.
"We were struggling, we had a couple of problems that we've had to overcome but we're pretty right," Fischer said.
With a westerly change now likely to arrive earlier than expected on Thursday, it may be difficult for any boat to break the race record.
The race totals 628 nautical miles (723 miles; 1,163 kilometers). Wild Oats X1's record from 2005 is 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes, 10 seconds in its race debut.
The 100-foot-long Investec Loyal won last year's race of 88 yachts in 2 days, 6 hours, 14 minutes, 18 seconds. That was just more than three minutes ahead of Wild Oats in one of the closest finishes in the history of the race, which was first held in 1945.
"The race record to us is a bonus ... it all depends on the conditions," Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said.
There are five foreign entries — New Zealand has two with Japan, Lithuania and France one each.
The Volvo 60 Ambersail is the first Lithuanian entry in the history of the race and arrived in Sydney on Saturday after contesting several other offshore races around the world.
"The boat named Ambersail is pretty much a household name back home," said skipper and owner Simonas Steponavieus. "This is one of these legendary races and I'm very delighted to be here and to bring the boat here.
Japan's 54-foot KLC Bengal 7 is only the eighth Japanese entry to take on the Sydney to Hobart. Owner Yoshihiko Murase started thinking about entering 40 years ago.
"It's not easy for me but this is my dream," Murase said through an interpreter.
Asked why the race hadn't attracted more Japanese entries, Murase said "the weather is really rough, that's why I think many Japanese people don't think about doing this race."
France is represented by Peugeot-Surfrider, a Beneteau 45 better known as Balance and chartered from an Australian.
"French sailors we are very amazed and impressed by the Sydney to Hobart, so it was a dream like maybe one year to participate in the race," said Peugeot-Surfrider's Sebastian Guyot, who has a crew comprising Sydney-based Frenchmen and some sailors from France.