After a brilliant start by record holder Wild Oats XI just on 1 pm, December 26, Australian eastern daylight saving time, UK 30m maxi yacht City Index Leopard came neck and neck with the leader, with Victorian 30m maxi Skandia close behind, third.
The leading positions — Wild Oats, first; City Index Leopard, second; and Skandia, third — were unchanged as the yachts passed the heads into open sea.
At 10.24am, December 28, Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line at Hobart's Derwent River to secure three consecutive line honors in the past three years. The journey took 1 day, 21 hours, 24 minutes and 32 seconds at an average speed of 13.8 knots.
City Index Leopard crossed the finish line soon after to claim second place in the line honors.
Only at 6.01pm did Ichi Ban come in to finish third, after the New South Wales modified Volvo 70 broke a rudder.
Finishing fourth was the US yacht Rosebud, a strong contender for handicap honors.
By early morning, December 29, 10 yachts had crossed the finish line with Quantum Racing, fifth; Yendys, sixth; Ragamuffin; seventh; Toyota Aurion, eighth; Wot Yot, ninth; and the damaged Skandia, which had been one of the three race leaders down the coast of New South Wales and across Bass Strait, 10th.
In the afternoon of December 29, race statistics showed that the American yacht Rosebud had won on handicap and was named provisional — and later confirmed — overall winner. It is only the third time in the history of the Sydney Hobart race that an American boat has become overall winner.
Boxing Day start
The 2007 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race started in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, December 26, its usual starting time.
By mid-afternoon, race leaders Wild Oats XI, City Index Leopard and Skandia were powering down the eastern New South Wales coast, well ahead of the rest of the fleet.
December 27
A day after the December 26 start, the race leaders were still Wild Oats XI, City Index Leopard and Skandia.
Already the leading boat was starting to cross Bass Strait. Occupying fourth and fifth position were the American yacht Rosebud and New South Wales boat Ichi Ban.
Skandia was the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart line honors winner and was leading the 2004 fleet to Hobart when it capsized and the crew abandoned ship.
NSW boats Mr Kite and Mr Berrimilla had retired from the race, Mr Kite because of a broken rudder and Berrimilla due to its spinnaker wrapping around the mast.
December 28
At about 2.30am, December 28, while under A2 spinnaker off Bicheno on the Tasmanian east coast with 150 miles to go, Skandia's mast broke between the third spreader and the forestay.
The mast was still standing, the spinnaker, which wrapped itself around the keel, was retrieved and the boat continued sailing under jury rig with a storm sail, still heading for the finish line averaging 6 knots.
Another boat, Victorian yacht Cougar II, was reported to have retired from the race due to a broken chain plate — the point on the deck where the stay from the top of the mast is attached to each side of the boat.
Prelude to 2007
Australian maxi yacht Wild Oats XI was aiming to equal Makybe Diva's feat in the Melbourne Cup by winning line honors in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in three consecutive years.
Wild Oats XI won line honors in 2005 and won the treble besides. Winning the treble meant winning line honors, setting a new race record, and becoming handicap winner in the one Sydney Hobart race.
Wild Oats XI repeated her line honors feat in 2006.
Despite Sardinia setback
This year, despite being dismasted in early September during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, the Australian yacht was prepared to again sail the race of its life by winning the Sydney Hobart for the third consecutive time.
From Italy, the yacht was shipped back to Australia with plans put in place for a new rig and sails, and so Wild Oats XI was sailing — and leading the fleet as the boats left Sydney Harbour on December 26 — in an effort to make it three in a row.
This year's entries
Initially, the 2007 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race had 90 yachts ranging from 10 metres to 30 metres intending to line up on Sydney Harbour for the traditional Boxing Day start. By December 18, just about a week from the start of the race, the number of entries had fallen to 82 as a result of withdrawals due to mishaps and other causes.
One of the most notable withdrawals was the New Zealand maxi Maximus which developed a crack in its keel on its way to Sydney. It was repported that the damage could not be repaired in time for the start of the race.
Maximus, together with City Index Leopard, had been expected to provide stiff competition to Wild Oats XI's bid for a third consecutive line honors win.
Increased international participation
An increased number of international entries this year included nine yachts representing four countries including the first ever Mexican entry (Iataia) and six boats from the UK. Six Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory will be represented, including four boats making the trip from Western Australia.
