 |
10:24 AM Mon 22 Dec 2008 GMT
 | | 'Inaugural line honours winner Jeff Cordell's Host Plus Executive - Clive Peeters 2007 Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race '
Kelly Woodward
|
Tasmania's newest ocean race, the 280 nautical mile Clive Peeters Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race, could see the race record broken in only its second year.
Canberra-based meteorologist Kenn Batt has forecast favourable running and reaching breezes for most of the race, which starts off Low Head at the mouth of the Tamar River next Saturday, 27 December.
His predictions have seen Garry Smith and Geoff White's Crotty Legal and Dental and Rob Gourlay's Tas Marine Construction emerge as favourites for line honours glory.
Smith has even suggested the predicted conditions could see his lightweight Blackwell White designed 45-footer complete the course down the east coast of Tasmania in 30 hours.
If Smith's prediction prove correct it will shave a massive 12 hours off the 2007 inaugural race winning time set by Jeff Cordell and his crew aboard Host Plus Executive.
L2H race director Peter Geeves says that if the long range weather predictions come through, 'I'd say the fleet could potentially travel at blistering speeds and set a pretty tough record for future competitors to break.
Batt, who has 40 years experience of forecasting, says a weak high pressure system in Bass Strait should see competitors start on Saturday afternoon in a north easterly breeze, reaching of 15 knots in the late afternoon.
Day two of competition will see the nor'-easter continue, building to 20 knots later in the day. Day three could provide competitors face a difficult decision of whether to venture offshore in pursuit of a solid nor'-wester tending to a southerly breeze; or stick to the coast which will host light and variable winds.
'On the 29th a low will move to the west, causing winds closer to the shore to become light and flicky, but it should generate strong winds about 20 knots or more further offshore,' he predicts.
Smith is thrilled with the forecast, saying winds from the north east are ideal conditions for his Bakewell White designed yacht. 'We're a lightweight boat with a big rig so if the conditions are aft of the beam we'll fly down the coast and possibly be home in 30 hours,' he says.
Nevertheless, there is a sense of uncertainty in the Crotty Legal and Dental camp. Despite the yacht having won 11 of the 12 pennant races this year, it is untested in off-shore conditions.
Smith and White plan to keep a close watch on sports boat Tas Marine Construction skippered by Gourlay, nephew of famed round the world yachtsman Ken Gourlay.
Gourlay also says the predictions are prefect to see the Thompson 920 steam home down the east coast, as the boat did in the first half of the Maria Island Race last month.
'Anything light to medium with cracked sheets or down wind runs is perfect for us,' Gourlay says. 'In those conditions we can comfortably hit more than 20 knot boat speed so it could be a fast race down the coast.'
Other top contenders include defending champion Jeff Cordell's Host Plus Executive and Tamar Yacht Club stalwart Nick Edmund aboard Haphazard.
The L2H fleet for 2008 has increased by half with more than 35 yachts expected to line up for the start at 2pm on Saturday. Yachts will finish at Castray Esplanade along with the Sydney to Hobart and Melbourne to Hobart competitors.
The race has attracted considerable support from Hobart yachts, with other prominent entries including David Creese's Sydney 38 Creese Property, Andrew Hunn's Mr Kite and Sally Rattle's Archie.
Creese Property took line honours in the recent Maria Island Race, Mr Kite is a radical 40-footer previously based in Sydney, while Archie won the 2007 Melbourne to Hobart Race down the Tasmanian east coast.
Of the 35 entries, 23 are from south Tasmanian yacht clubs, including the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Bellerive Yacht Club, Kettering Yacht Club, Port Cygnet Yacht Club, with the others representing the Tamar Yacht Club and Port Dalrymple Yacht Club.
The race is conducted by the Derwent Sailing Club and the Tamar Yacht Club.
The converted Sphinx Tea Trophy will be awarded to the line honours champion.
l2h.com.au
by Peter Campbell
|
|
Cape Leeuwin, WA
Kitesurfing - Twintips
Foiling - Components (Wings,Masts,etc)
