Audi Sydney Gold Coast fleet tip-toeing north

7:02 AM Sat 25 Jul 2009 GMT

'Audi Sydney-Southport 2009 start in Sydney. Lahana.' Andrea Francolini / Audi &copy

The 80 boats in the 24th annual Sydney to Gold Coast race present no danger to the 1999 Race record still held by George Snow's Brindabella.

Back in 1999 the fleet left Sydney Harbour in 35-40 knot southerly winds, with ripped spinnakers flying like flags from many a masthead.

Today, the fleet tip-toed from the harbour in a 5-6 knot wind swinging from south east to east and then north east.

Bob Oatley's Wild Oats X is abeam Broken Bay, still in soft conditions; she is heading north at 5-6 knots and behind her the fleet is compressing.

Seawards is Stephen Ainsworth's Loki, now only a mile back, in company with Andrew Short's 80 footer, Price Waterhouse Coopers (Shockwave), with the much bigger Lahana (the former Zana/Konica Minolta) winding up a mile and a half further back. Inside her is the Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack, actually third on the water.

Michael Hiatt's Farr 55 Living Doll is on the inside, then comes Robert Date's Scarlet Runner, (a R/P 52 that is much more of a cruiser than any TP52), Syd Fischers TP Ragamuffin is outside of her and just ahead of Geoff Ross' R/P 55 Yendys. Next is Lockhart Solutions, the Getaway Sailing charter that is the Volvo 60 which started like as djuice dragons, and Rob Hannah's Shogun, the fixed keel Cookson 50 and the former Living Doll.

Up ahead there is more breeze, as much as ten knots, but with more north in it. Soon it will be decision time, inside or outside, with so little breeze the strong south flowing east Australian Current cannot be ignored, the question is - is it time to hit the beaches inside the current line and wait for a westerly land breeze or head wide looking for more pressure tonight?

Further back in the fleet, the Newcastle crewed Kerr 11.3 Tow Truck has already made her decision, with the breeze now only six knots, they are heading for the beaches, where the depth sounder is likely to become their friend as they follow something like the 8 metre line as countless boats have done before them in this Australian winter classic.

For the handicap fleet contesting this 384 nautical mile race, that decision will probably win or lose the race.

by Rob Kothe www.Sail-World.com

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing #North

Audi Sydney Gold Coast fleet tip-toeing north

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds