Pittwater-Coffs Harbour Race Pretty Woman on record pace at 8pm sked

1:32 AM Fri 2 Jan 2009 GMT

'The start line of the 2009 Coffs Race' Damian Devine Click Here to view large photo

The first radio report by the fleet in the 2009 Pittwater to Coffs race has been completed and at 8pm this evening Pretty Woman leads Ausmaid for line honours by 5 nautical miles in the 2009 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht race.

With a freshening 20 knot SE breeze this afternoon and following the fleet, Pretty Woman has made considerable ground, covering 108 miles of the course and is currently positioned 8 nautical miles north of Port Stephens, going wide and well out to sea. She is smoking up the coast traveling at 13.5 knots, putting her on race record pace at this point in time.

Ausmaid, the Farr 47 is positioned 10 nautical miles north of Forster with the Sydney 38 The Bigger Picture a further 8 miles behind.

Perpetual Mocean, the Marten 49 is currently sitting mid fleet 4 miles south of Port Stephens along with the majority of the fleet with the back runners Let Loose, Reverie, Freya, First Light and Fathom, 4 miles south of Newcastle.

On handicap, it's Pretty Woman from The Bigger Picture and Ausmaid in IRC Overall with Div 1 shaping up as Pretty Woman 1st, Ausmaid 2nd and About Time 3rd. In Div 2 it's The Bigger Picture 1st, Ticket of Leave 2nd with the Murray 37 Dark & Stormy Witch in 3rd.

On PHS, the Bavaria Match 42 Shot of Courage leads from Moksha, a Hanse 540 and the biggest boat in the fleet from Mortage Choice Rumba, a Northshore 379.

Pretty Woman - 2009 Pittwater Coffs Harbour Race start - Damian Devine

The next report is at 6am sked and information will be updated following the radio report by the fleet by 8am in the morning.

Pretty Woman will need to finish by 6:29am to break the record.

This followed a spectacular start today in a 10knot ESE breeze which saw the fleet of 61 yachts get away cleanly in Broken Bay for the running of the 2009 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Offshore race today, the first ocean race of the year.

With a great flotilla of spectator fleet looking on under clear blue skies, the line was split between a weighted boat end and the pin end where a few of the pre race favourites, jockeyed positions for their start.

On a slight 1-1.5m swell, Perpetual Mocean avoided the commotion of the start getting to leeward of the Farr 45, Pretty Woman who had the best of starts, crossing the line first, pin end followed by the Farr 40, Eleven. With Pretty Woman the windward boat, it didn't take long for Bruce Hogan's Marten 49 Perpetual Mocean to take the lead from Pretty Woman. Others at the pin end away to a good start were Ausmaid, Risk and Bribie Star.

At the boat end of the line, Spirit of Lexus, a Farr 42 laid the start the best then followed by another Farr 40 Edake, the Cookson 12 About Time and the Beneteau 44.7 Le Billet.

As the fleet starboard reached their way out of Broken Bay, by Cape 3 Points, the field had settled into a rhythm. Perpetual Mocean easily led the fleet in clear air gaining good boat speed ahead of Pretty Woman with Tulip, the Swan 45 in 3rd. Ausmaid was making ground and she was followed by the three Farr 40's who got very good starts including Eleven (formerly Splash Gordon), Jeff Carter's Edake and the other RQYS contender Bribie Star. Rounding out the Top 10 was another Farr, the 42' Spirit of Lexus under the helm of Pat Langley, the Cookson 12 About Time and the ever present Le Billet.

by Damian Devine

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