Brisbane to Gladstone - Wedgetail the possible provisional winner

11:32 PM Sat 3 Apr 2010 GMT

'Black Jack winning her second Brisbane to Gladstone line honours' Ian Grant Click Here to view large photo

Brisbane to Gladstone.

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Ocean racing yachtsman Bill Wild is in a strong position to celebrate a popular win in Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race later today.

The 12.8 Wedgetail, raced by a composite crew of Queensland and New South Wales sailors including former race winner Mike O'Brien and World championship winning New South Wales yachtswoman Vanessa Dudley, capitalised on a close 308 n.ml race against the Bruce Absolon skippered Spirit of the Maid, to provisionally hold the fastest corrected course time.

Both Wedgetail and Spirit of the Maid became engaged in a match race after line honours winner Black Jack disappeared over the horizon to win back to back line honours trophies, with a fast average speed 14.08 knots.

The intensity of the boat on boat fight was resolved by the margin of one second at the finish ending an absorbing battle, when Spirit of the Maid held out the fast finishing Wedgetail.

'Wedgetail is an exciting performer and was in her element riding the quarter wave of Spirit of the Maid at 17.5 knots across the top of Hervey Bay' Bill Wild said.

The match race against her larger rival allowed the Wedgetail crew to hold the fastest corrected handicap result outpacing the line honours winner Black Jack by 9 minutes 48 seconds, while the Brisbane based Farr 40 Eleven skippered by Dave Elliott claimed third another 2 minutes 5 seconds of the pace.

www.gladstonerace.com.au

by Ian Grant

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Brisbane to Gladstone - Wedgetail the possible provisional winner

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