Rolex Sydney Hobart

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sorpresa
Maximus and ABN AMRO dismasted

Overnight the gruelling Rolex Sydney Hobart claimed the scalp of race leader and round the world Volvo 70 ABN AMRO ONE skippered by New Zealand yachtsman Mike Sanderson and a short time later Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley’s 30m maxi Maximus was also dismasted.
At 0308hours this morning ABN AMRO ONE advised the race committee they had been dismasted in 30 knots of breeze and at 0330 hours Maximus also advised they had been dismasted south of Batemans Bay and had six injured crew aboard.
A police launch is currently heading out to assess the situation on Maximus and coordinate getting the injured crew off the New Zealand maxi which was contesting its first Rolex Sydney Hobart. A helicopter is on standby and pending police assessment may need to pick up and transfer some of the injured crew.
ABN AMRO ONE not only contested the Volvo 2005-06 Ocean Race, they won it. Having faced some of the toughest waters on the planet, they have come unstuck early this morning well east of Montague Island on the NSW far south coast.
All the crew are OK although obviously disappointed, particularly as they were leading Wild Oats XI by five nautical miles when the incident occurred.