Wild Oats has the chance to become the oldest boat in half a century to win the Sydney to Hobart yacht race when it begins on Boxing Day.
Co-owner Sandy Oatley and skipper Mark Richards unveiled a remodelled Wild Oats XI on Thursday morning, four months after undergoing the biggest nip and tuck of her life.
Having overtaken previous record-holder Kurrewa IV with her eighth line honours win in 2014, Wild Oats will create more history if she holds off American supermaxis Comanche and Rambler again this holiday season.
Not since 1946 line honours winner Morna repeated her triumph in her second incarnation as Kurrewa IV in 1957 has an old-stager trumped rivals 10 years her junior in Australia's most famous yacht race.
"Turning an old boat into something cool, that's cool," Richards told AAP.
"Building a new boat is very satisfying, but to actually do what we've done to an old boat is pretty special. It's unheard of in our sport.
"It's not very often that a 10-year old boat is still competitive, and she certainly is. That's half the fun."
The Wild Oats team showcased the new-look Wild Oats XI - next to the chainsawed 11-metre front - in Woolwich as she prepares to hit the water for the first time in Monday's qualifying time trial.
Two metres also came off the stern, while a pre-made 13m bow was attached.
"It's had a bum lift, a bit of breast augmentation, a nose job, cheek implants, and had the ears pinned back," Richards said.
But despite the heavy makeover, Richards said the fact it remains competitive is a tribute to its original designers.
"If we had this boat built today, you'd be very excited about what you saw," he said.
"To have that out of a 10-year-old boat goes to show how amazing the pedigree was when it was originally designed.
"Here we are with a very current and sexy-looking boat, which is exciting."
