10:57 PM Thu 6 Oct 2011 GMT
The Yacht Club of Australia's (CYCA) Flinders Islet race will welcome the twenty eight registered yachts this weekend and the question that remains to be answered is: can Stephen Ainsworth and his Loki crew break their own race record, set last October?
As Ainsworth points out, 'none of the weather models agree, so it's difficult to predict if we can break our record or not. We'll be giving it our best shot, but it is very much weather dependent. All I can say is that we'll be sailing as fast as we can in the weather we're handed.'
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting a 10- 20 knot easterly, decreasing to 10-15 knots around midday and 10 knots later in the evening, with a chance of thunderstorms in the Sydney region. On Saturday, the BOM says east to north-easterlies of 5-10 knots becoming light in the early morning then tending southerly up to 10 knots around midday.
Further down the south coast on Saturday, north to north-easterly winds of 5-10 knots are expected, tending south-easterly during the morning for the 92 nautical mile race, the third in the CYCA's Blue Water Point Score (BWPS), which recognises the top Australian ocean racing yacht each summer season.
At 80 feet, Jim Cooney's enduring maxi, Brindabella, is the biggest boat in a fleet which is peppered with some of Australia's most awarded skippers and boats, headed by Ainsworth's Reichel/Pugh 63, which created a new record of 7 hours 48mins 44secs last October, to claim the triple of record, line honours and overall win.
Remarkably, records and trifectas have become a habit for Loki, which also holds other records in CYCA races; the 2009 Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht race, in which she won the treble, and just two weeks ago, Ainsworth's priceless possession took the treble again in the Club's Bird Island Race.
Loki, which also won the 2010 Audi IRC Australian Championship, is the reigning BWPS champion and leads the current edition from Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin, also an entry in the Flinders Islet Race.
Fischer is a veteran heavy-hitter in the sport, having won some of the most prominent races and series' in the world, such as the Admiral's Cup, Kenwood Cup, the CYCA's own Rolex Sydney Hobart and Southern Cross Cup series and an unprecedented nine BWPS wins and top three places in the last three editions.
Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race winner, Roger Hickman, has repaired the backstay on his 26 year-old 1993 Sydney Hobart winner, Wild Rose, after breaking it in Bird Island Race two weeks ago.
'Hicko' is confident his Farr 43 and crew of 'petals' are now race-ready. 'It was just wear and tear from the wash hitting the boat constantly at her mooring,' Hickman said of his backstay problems. 'We're raring to go; the boat's in good order, we do maintenance on her regularly and we'll finish this one,' he promised.
A word of warning to the fleet, Ed Psaltis' new Ker 40, AFR Midnight Rambler, named in the tradition of all his yachts, is reportedly a goer, showing great form in her two early outings. According to CYCA member, Julian Farren-Price, 'that is a fast boat and she hasn't shown her full potential yet. I think she'll give the best a run for their money.'
Currently leading the push for the BWPS Tasman Pointscore PHS trophy, Murray Owen's and Jenny Kings have entered their Sydney 46, NSC Mahligai. The pair will have to be in good form to keep Loki and Ragamuffin at bay. Loki is second on countback to the leader, while Ragamuffin is one point behind them in what is shaping up to be an interesting series.
|
NSC Mahligai leads the Tasman Pointscore - CYCA Audi Winter Series 2011 -
www.SailPix.com.au
|
Ragamuffin also leads the ORCi pointscore, with Darryl Hodgkinson's Victoire in second and Colin and Glady's Woods' Pretty Fly III in third. Hodgkinson has just returned from racing aboard a century old classic yacht in St. Tropez, in time to take the helm of his Beneteau 45, fresh from its Audi IRC Australian Championship Class B victory.
Monday marks the second anniversary of the passing of Andrew Short and Sally Gordon in the 2009 Flinders Islet Race. All will take time out to remember Shorty and Sal and their families on the anniversary. As a mark of respect and in remembrance, Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson will call for a minute's reflection just prior to the race's start on Sydney Harbour.
The two experienced Sydney sailors tragically lost their lives in the early hours of Saturday October 10 in the 2009 Flinders Islet race, aboard Short's yacht, PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Event website
by Di Pearson
|
Mawson, TAS
Kitesurfing - Kites
Foiling - Foils Complete
Windsurfing - Sails
Stand Up Paddle - Wave & Cruising Boards