Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards has pledged to win back the boat's line honours crown in next year's Sydney to Hobart after a combination of mistakes and bad weather forced the favourite to quit the race.
A shattered Wild Oats XI crew were welcomed back by family and friends at Sydney's Woolwich Dock on Sunday morning after the super maxi's mainsail was shredded in the fierce southerly buster which hit the fleet off the NSW south coast.
Richards, who skippered the boat to an unprecedented eighth line honours title last year, was philosophical about having to pull out for the first time in its 10-year history.
"We had a failure and that's the way it is. Get on with life and start planning for next year," he said.
Richards said the retirement was caused by errors and the conditions, not the yacht's radical modifications.
The defending line honours champion underwent an extreme overhaul midway through the year in a bid to keep pace with the newer American supermaxi and current race leader Comanche.
However the $2 million makeover wasn't enough for Wild Oats to claim a ninth title in 11 years.
"It was actually weather and crew work, to be honest with you," Richards said.
"We made a few mistakes, it's as simple as that.
"We were really happy with the modifications. They had nothing to do with what happened at all."
The southerly buster, which contained winds of up to 40 knots proved a severe test.
Richards said the "really dark rain squall" made conditions extremely difficult and it wasn't until they had negotiated the worst of the conditions that they realised the extent of the damage.
"We had to really have a good look at the sail and it was just shredded. So everyone just knew straight away that was it, game over," he said.
The crew had barely docked for 10 minutes before co-owner Sandy Oatley pledged that his 100-footer would attempt to reclaim her line honours crown next year.
"You've got to take the good with the bad.
"We've had the bad today and we'll come back for the good next year," he said.
