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Drag race ... Ragamuffin and Wild Oats ready for battle. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited
Ragamuffin Loyal skipper Syd Fischer is tipping a drag race between Wild Oats XI and his boat in the battle for line honours in the Sydney to Hobart.
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The two super maxis remain favourites to secure line honours with Wild Oats XI having previously been first to reach Hobart on five occasions and Investec Loyal - as she was known then - claiming the honour last year.
"I think it's going to be a bit of drag race actually, because they are going to be watching us and were 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 leadup.
It required repairs to rigging after the mast struck Sydney's Anzac Bridge just under 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.
Eternally respectful of the weather's influence on the race, Fischer was cautious about talking up his boat's line honours prospects.
"I think we're confident we've got a good chance, but I don't like overestimating a situation that you can't control,'' Fischer said.
The fleet of 77 is expected to start in south easterly breezes of around 15 knots on Wednesday.
The winds will lighten after a few hours but forecast northerlies will kick the fleet along on Thursday.
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With a westerly change now likely to arrive earlier than expected on Thursday it may be hard for any boat to break the race record.
"The race record to us is a bonus ... it all depends on the conditions,'' Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said.
"It's possible, the nor-easter may stay in for an extra three or four hours and that's a big deal in these boats.''
Richards acknowledged for the record to fall, his boat would have to cover as much of the 628-nautical mile course as possible before the westerly change hits.
"Don't back off, push as fast as you can and hopefully you can sail the shortest course possible and the rest is in the hands of the gods.''
There was nothing in the latest weather forecast to concern Fischer, who will be doing the race for the 44th time.
"I don't think we're going to get knocked around too much,'' Fischer said.
"It will be a race in which attention to detail will be the main thing.''
Richards emphasised it wouldn't be all smooth sailing, especially with southerlies to contend with on the first night.
"It's going to be big and bumpy and uncomfortable,'' Richards said.
The latest forecast still appeared to favour the bigger boats in the battle for overall honours.
"The overall winner is likely to come from a boat 60 foot or larger and it depends on who gets through some of those transition periods the best,'' said Matt Allen skipper of the 70-foot Ichi Ban.
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