Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race NOR posted

10:15 AM Tue 10 Feb 2009 GMT

'Limit - Audi Sydney Newcastle Race 2008' Andrea Francolini &copy

On Friday 27 March the CYCA's Blue Water Pointscore and Tasman Performance Series fleets will embark on the final of the seven-race series, the second Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, which will finish in spectacular fashion in the Hunter River.

This week the organising club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, posted the notice of race and entry form online sydneynewcastle.cyca.com.au/editorial.asp?Key=3749.

The first entries received were Graeme Wood's Wot Yot and Wot Now.

Wot Yot is currently placed eighth on the Blue Water pointscore, with Wot Now placed ninth. Graeme Wood's most recent sailing highlights on Wot Now include winning the IRC Division 0/1 in the Rolex Trophy Rating Series in December, placing third overall and third in IRC Division 1 in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and second in IRC Division 1 at Skandia Geelong Race Week.

The 213 nautical mile Cat 2 race will start at 12 noon on Friday 27 March from Sydney Harbour and take the fleet to a laid mark around 20 nautical miles east of Crowdy Head before the yachts head for Newcastle and the finish in the Hunter River.

After the completion of Race 6, the Flinders Island race, on 6 February, David Beaks Mr Beak's Ribs currently leads the Blue Water Pointscore on 16 points, 3 points clear of Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas' AFR Midnight Rambler in second on 19 points, with the reigning Blue Water Champion Syd Fisher's Ragamuffin a further two points behind on 21 points.
'The Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race will again prove to be the deciding race in the CYCA's Blue Water Pointscore. This will be the second time this exciting offshore race will be conducted by the CYCA, in conjunction with our naming rights sponsor Audi Australia, and race finishing partner Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, said Garry Linacre, Vice Commodore and Chairman, Sailing Committee.

The race finishing partner for the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, has recently completed its clubhouse development as well as an extension to its marina and is looking forward to hosting the fleet on the last weekend in March 2009.