Breeze for Lindeman Island Race
Solid south easterly breeze on a cool morning at Hamilton Island, ahead of the first race of the 25th Audi Hamilton Island Race Week regatta. Winds are steady at 20 knots with gusts to 25 being reported from the Committee boat. 
'WILD OATS X'
Andrea Francolini / Audi ©
The 23 nautical mile Lindeman Island Race starts in Catseye Bay, with the IRC fleet starting at 1030. The first mark is Surprise Rock, then the fleet heads south, towards the western tip of Lindeman Island, where the tide will be ripping north, keeping well away from the wind shadow of Shaw Island, around Spitfire rock and will blast home up through Dent Passage to the finish line. The race leaders, which should include the two Reichel Pugh 66's Wild Oats X and Black Jack, should be back in Hamilton Island Harbour for the lunch. The back of the fleet will experience the toughest beat as the tide floods from the north in the middle of the day.
Race Director Denis Thompson says 'We are expecting exciting racing this week; the 50 footer fleet is probably the most competitive in the world. '
Bob Oatley's Reichel Pugh X, the canting keel 66 footer is likely to dominate the line honours scene in this weeks racing. Skipper Mark Richards and his his top gun crew know their boat and know the waters and have an advantage over Peter Harburg's Black Jack crew, who are still on a steep learning curve.
The IRC Grand Prix divison is probably the best that has every been assembled and the even predicting the top ten would be a difficult task.
by Rob Kothe 
Turners Beach, TAS
