Record entries for Skandia Geelong Week's Passage Race

10:28 PM Fri 23 Jan 2009 GMT

'Fleet Start Skandia Geelong Week 2008, Melbourne (Australia)' Andrea Francolini /Skandia Click Here to view large photo

In a display of colour and numbers, a record 423 boats of various shapes, sizes, designs and classes will converge on the start line of the 34.3 nautical mile Passage Race from Williamstown to Geelong this morning as part of Skandia Geelong Week.

The start cannon to send the fleet on their way will be fired at 9.30am by the Minister for Sport and Recreation in Victoria, James Merlino, from Pelicans, a 73 New Ocean motor cruiser.

Visually, the mass start will be spectacular for spectators, the Bay alive with not just competitors, but many spectators; on the water and on land.

Grant Wharington's Skandia holds the race record of 1 hour 40 minutes 7 seconds, which they set in 2006 and Wharington and his super maxi are expected to take honours again, although there are a couple of huge catamarans that could get there first - we will see.

Forecasters say today will be partly cloudy, isolated showers, thunderstorms, winds south-west averaging 20 knots, but as we went to press, the wind was from the west to south-west at 24 knots.

The Passage Race is Race 3 of the Audi IRC Australian Championship for those yachts sailing in the Audi IRC Series.

by Di Pearson / Skandia media

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

Record entries for Skandia Geelong Week's Passage Race

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds