Tacticians under the pump at Hamilton Island RW
'2008 Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 1. Wild Oats X, owned by Bob Oatley and skippered by Mark Richards, left, and Black Jack, skippered by Mark Bradford'
Jack Atley© Click Here to view large photo
World championship winning tacticians will have their reputations tested when the International standard Grand Prix fleet of IRC class racing yachts compete for line and handicap honours in the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week championship in the warm Whitsunday Islands today.
A forecast of 15-25 knot trade winds which promise to be spiced with variable direction changes will test the awareness of the tacticians.
Wind velocities recorded overnight at Hamilton Island varied between 12 to 21 knots and veered between a south to east south east direction.
Similar unstable winds are expected to blow for the important Island Passage racing later today which will add to the excitement of the Americas Cup type line honours match race between the Mark Richards skippered Wild Oats X and her Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron challenger Black Jack helmed by the aggressive Americas Cup sailor Mark Bradford.
Both exceptionally talented crews share equal points in the progressive boat on boat match race for the prestigious fastest yacht of the series.
After four races contested over 106 nautical miles Wild Oats X has a marginally faster .76 seconds per nautical mile speed advantage scoring her wins in the longer Island Passage racing while Black Jack triumphed over the shorter windward leeward courses.
Intense interest will also focus on the equally interesting duel for the important corrected handicap points between the progressive series leader Quantum Racing (Ray Roberts), Cougar (Alan Whiteley) and Living Doll (Michael Hiatt).
All three crews have been evenly matched during the four races contested so far and they are expected to enter into another tactical dogfight during the crucial fifth race today.
Quantum Racing with a 3-5-4-1 13 point score holds a 3 point split over Cougar 8-2-2-4 while Living Doll which lost major points when crew member John McLean fell overboard in race one has been a consistent improver scoring a 1-1-2 to presently hold third place on 19 points.
by Ian Grant 
Sunshine Coast, QLD
