Skandia maxi reaches UK

Refitted and ready to do Cowes Week and Rolex Fastnet Race

Grant Wharington’s supermaxi, Winner of Line Honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2003, Handicap Winner of Hamilton Island Race Week 2004, and Line Honours Winner of many other events, has arrived safely in the UK, and is being prepared to race in Skandia Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race.

“We are all very excited and pleased that we have been able to get her here on time”, said Wharington, ‘it has been an extremely tight schedule to get the maxi ready, and the guys should be very proud of themselves.”

Wharington’s Skandia Wild Thing crew were forced to abandon the supermaxi, together with their dreams of winning Line Honours back to back, during an adrenaline filled Rolex Sydney to Hobart in December. While leading the race, tussling with Konica Minolta, the hydraulic rams controlling Skandia’s powerful canting keel buckled, causing a massive failure and resulting in eventual capsize.

When Wharington and his dejected crew brought the maxi home by truck in January, all looked lost. However, with customary determination they vowed to have her back in the water and racing at Skandia Cowes Week, and have once again proved the doubters wrong.

André Oszmann, Skandia’s group marketing director says, “It’s fantastic to see the maxi back in the water and particularly exciting to see her in British waters ready to compete at Skandia Cowes Week. Grant and his team have done an amazing job.”

“Every cloud has a silver lining”, skipper and owner Grant Wharington commented, “we have been able to make some changes to our configuration during rebuild, and the yacht’s performance looks to be even better now. We look forward to getting her out racing at Skandia Cowes Week, which is a fantastic event, and are confident that she will live up to expectations.”