Tough test for Sunshine Coast crews
'Don Algie's Storm 2'
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Several Sunshine Coast ocean racing crews have cast their mooring lines and cruised the escape route to compete in the race week regattas in the Whitsunday Islands.
Cold temperatures have restricted their racing activities in recent weeks however they can expect to have the creases blown out of the sails in a friendlier climate during the opening race of the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week on Friday.
Experienced Mooloolaba deep sea sailor Col Thomas has completed his delivery voyage with Hans-On and apart from having the leeward rail awash the voyage was incident free.
Thomas a Sydney Hobart and Fastnet Race veteran will be joined by his long term sailing mate Nick Cox when they line up to contest the Cruising with Spinnaker Class championship against a high class fleet representing West Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Storm 2 Don Algie's majestic Warwick 66 is again expected to set the pace following on from her championship win over the same courses 12 months ago.
Skipper Don Algie who founded the regatta 19 years ago has extensive experience in racing with and against the tricky Whitsunday Island current and this was expressed when he and the Storm 2 crew outpaced the fleet to claim his first class championship win last August.
The Storm 2 crew are rated as a strong chance to record back to back titles but the Sunshine Coast co-skippers Col Thomas and Nick Cox believe a marginal improvement in the handicap rated boat speed of Hans-On will give them a chance to win.
Kevin Horne's slick 9.6m Greg Elliott designed Cruiser/Racer Wild Spirit and John Netherton's Cadi will carry the Sunshine Coast 'Battleflag' into the highly competitive Performance Racing class championship.
Both Mooloolaba yachts are capable of outsailing their handicap ratings in moderate to fresh winds however while crew confidence remains high they will need to be on the pace to finish ahead of the top performing Abel Point Yacht Club sloop Another Fiasco (Damien Suckling) and the consistent Craig Piccinelli helmed Whitsunday Sailing Club sloop Wobbly Boot.
Another Fiasco winner of the Performance Handicap title in the energy absorbing 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race will no doubt set the pace for line honours while Wobbly Boot a former Airlie Beach Race Week champion and 'Boss Hog' boat of the series trophy winner will again be among the front runners that will test both the tactical strategy and crew skills of the Sunshine Coast challengers.
Matthew Jones will have a strong form guide when he grips the tiller of the Queensland match racing champion Tasqua Youth to compete for title honours in the International SB3 class championship.
The Tasqua Youth crew supported by the Sunshine Coast based Oceanburo Performance sailing syndicate are likely to be tactically targeted by the experienced Gold Coast skipper Joe Akacich better known as Black Joe.
Akacich who learnt his sailing in a tough school is a firm believer that young tackers have to earn their stripes which suggests there may be some rule infringement penalties and possible protests before this class championship is decided with the final race on Pioneer Bay next Thursday (August 21) 
by Ian Grant 
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Gold COast, QLD
