Yachting: Chricton warns of Wild Oats' speed

Neville Crichton. Photo / Supplied

Wild Oats XI may prove untouchable in this year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race, according to Neville Crichton, the skipper of last year's line honours winner Alfa Romeo.

Sydney-based New Zealander Crichton is sitting out this year's Sydney to Hobart after selling his superb supermaxi to a Russian following last year's triumph.

Alfa is being campaigned in Europe by her new owner, who opted against bringing her back to Australia for a crack at back-to-back line-honours wins.

With Alfa and last year's third boat across the line, Britain's ICAP Leopard not returning, Oats appears clearly faster than her remaining domestic rivals.

"I don't think any of them will touch it," Crichton said. "If [Wild Oats XI skipper] Mark Richards doesn't break down, I think he will eat them alive, that's my opinion.

"They've got the boat well sorted, they sailed well and it's a very good boat, so I don't see anyone getting near them, but they can all breakdown.

"Their boat is reliable, it's well maintained and I see no reason why they shouldn't win."

Given certain conditions, Crichton believes the other 100-foot supermaxi, Investec LOYAL, could prosper.

"If it's a northerly, LOYAL should be very quick. But if the wind goes around on the nose, Wild Oats XI will be gone."

Crichton said he was between boats at present and hadn't decided what type of campaign he would buy next.

"I'm having a serious look at a big multihull for some long offshore races," Crichton said.

Multihull yachts are not eligible for the Sydney to Hobart and Crichton doubted his next boat would be another supermaxi because of the cost and the lack of competitions for that type.

"There's no class for the big supermaxis at the moment. If there was, I definitely would do another 100-footer," Crichton said. "To come down and sail by yourself, I don't want to do that.

"It's costly and they are very expensive boats to run and I guess the financial situation over the last couple of years [means] we've all had to pull our tails in a little bit and have a look at our expenses."

Crichton also took line honours in the Sydney to Hobart in 2002 with his previous boat and his victory last year avenged his 2005 loss to Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI.

"I didn't want to let Oatley off the hook and I had to knock the bragging rights out of him," he joked.

- AAP