Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race - IRC yachts back in action

9:48 AM Fri 29 Jul 2011 GMT

'Hooligan at Audi Victoria Week 2011 - Photo Audi - Andrea Francolini.jpg Hooligan at Audi Victoria Week 2011 - Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2011' Andrea Francolini / Audi &copy

Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starts from Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Saturday 30 July.

Competition in Australia's leading keelboat series, the Audi IRC Australian Championship, resumes this weekend with the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht.

Following a four month break since round two of the 2011 championship, the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, all of the competing crews are keen to get back into the action in this 384 nautical mile race up the east coast of Australia.

The highly competitive Audi IRC Australian Championship comprises of three classes, with Classes A, B and C all well represented in this weekend's event, with 51 boats registered for racing under IRC.

After the first two rounds Class A has been all about Marcus Blackmore's Hooligan with the TP52 sitting well with a perfect two wins from two starts.

The rest of Class A is hot on Hooligan's heels with Stephen Ainsworth's Loki and Michael Hiatt's Living Doll currently sitting second and third respectively with both boats to be on the Saturday's start line.

The fourth placed Shogun and fifth placed Pirelli Celestial are also preparing to head north and will be joined in the race by the likes of Investec Loyal and Wild Oats XI.

In Class B Darryl Hodgkinson's Victoire is currently first and will race against a strong fleet this weekend, including the third placed Exile, skippered by Robert Reynolds and Paul Clitheroe's fourth placed Balance.

The Philosopher's Club, skippered by Peter Sorensen, leads the way in Class C, ahead of Andy Kearnan's L'Altra Donna in second overall.

Class C will feature a number of yachts competing in their first race of the 2011 Audi IRC Australian Championship and all are a welcome addition to the growing series.

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is the penultimate round of the 2011 Audi IRC Australian Championship with the series wrapping up at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in late August.

For more information on the Audi IRC Australian Championship, including championship standings and boat profiles, visit the website .

Audi IRC Australian Championship TV series host Rob Canning with an Audi R8 Spyder and Wild Oats XI - Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2011 - Andrea Francolini - Audi &copy

Audi IRC Australian Championship TV coverage
The 2011 Audi IRC Australian Championship will go to air on ONE HD from Saturday 3 September at 6:00pm. This year's series will comprise of eight 30 minute episodes. The TV series is produced by Audi Australia and Fuzzy TV. Network Ten sports presenter, Rob Canning, is the host of the series and will be joined by expert commentators, Will Hagon and Neville Wittey.

Audi Gold Coast Yacht Race website

by Craig Heydon