Black Jack books for the Hobart
Highly skilled Sunshine Coast ocean racing sailors David Biggar and Jack Mason will miss the usual friendly family Boxing Day celebrations when they line up to contest the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart race on the exciting 20.12 m maxi chaser Black Jack.
'Black Jack at Hamilton Island 2008'
Andrea Francolini / Audi © Click Here to view large photo
However there may be some Christmas Day 'left over's' secretly packed in their sea-bag when the impressive Peter Harburg owned Black Jack competes in the physically demanding 630 nautical mile classic starting on Boxing Day.
Black Jack has made an impressive debut in Australian offshore racing since she was imported from America in late June.
The impressively fast Reichel-Pugh designed sloop fitted with the latest canting-keel technology and rigged with an extensive wardrobe of North Sails came through her first serious test winning the prestigious Audi Hamilton Island Race Week line honours title over the defending champion Bob Oatley's Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours champions aboard the smaller Wild Oats X.
This was an unexpected result for the Black Jack crew and skipper Mark Bradford who apart from winning major medals in the Australian Winter Etchells championships at Mooloolaba and contesting the 2008 Americas Cup in Spain had no tactical experience of helming in 'big boat' racing arena.
But what the Black Jack crew lacked in collective experience was more than made up with enthusiasm and a 'never say die' will to win.
Black Jack won the Americas Cup style match race against her almost identical rival Wild Oats X by six races to three and a 4 minute 23 second aggregate speed advantage handling a mixed range of winds from fresh and gusty to light and variable.
However the Wild Oats racing team have become almost invincible over the gruelling Sydney Hobart 'torture track' whenever they step onboard the super-maxi Wild Oats Xl.
When Bob Oatley launched Wild Oats Xl in 2005 he was relatively confident that the untried super sloop like his Admirals Cup winner Wild Oats lX had the design credentials to become a 'rocket ship'.
His modest confidence has been proved with Mark Richards and the Wild Oats racing team proving to be the masters winning the past three Sydney Hobart line honours besides winning the race outright on corrected handicap and setting a new record.
The super maxi will again start favourite to defend her title against an impressive fleet of smaller maxi chasers including Black Jack.
by Ian Grant 
Paynesville, VIC
