Andrew Short Marine extends lead - Lord Howe Race

11:29 AM Sat 25 Oct 2008 GMT

'The Bigger Picture - Gosford Lord Howe Race 2008' Peter Campbell &copy Click Here to view large photo

News update - 2200 hours/25 October 2008

The maxi yacht Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 has opened up a substantial lead after six hours of racing in the Hempel 35th Gosford - Lord Howe Island Yacht Race that started from Broken Bay early this afternoon.

At the 1905 hours position report from the fleet, the 80-footer was about 40 nautical miles east of Red Head, midway between Lakes Entrance and Newcastle, with the fleet beating to windward into in the 12-15 knot north-easterly breeze.

Skippered by Andrew Short, the maxi yacht is contesting her first long ocean race since returning to Australia in August, with the 414 nm race to Lord Howe Island being her qualifying passage for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Six hours after the start, Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 she was 7 nm ahead of Getaway-Sailing (Peter Goldsworthy) the current race record-holder for the Lord Howe Island Race. The 80-footer had average 8.45 knots in that time, while Getaway-Sailing, a 60-footer, has averaged 7.38 knots.

Holding third place in the fleet and first on IRC corrected time was Patrice Six, Tony Kirby's well-rated X-42, which won the Sailing South Regatta in Hobart last January.

Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 is second on progressive IRC corrected times, with The Bigger Picture KM&T, Michael Roberts' Sydney 38, in third place.

The Manly Yacht Club entrant, Copernicus (Greg Zyner) heads the PHS progressive standings from Getaway Sailing and Polaris of Belmont (Chris Dawe) sailing for the Gosford Sailing Club.

by Peter Campbell

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Andrew Short Marine extends lead - Lord Howe Race

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