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Wednesday 2nd January 2008 5:30pm.
Sixty yachts got away to a beautiful start today on time at 12pm today in Broken Bay in the Alternate Race to the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race, the Pittwater-Boondelbah Island-Botany Bay-Pittwater race, an approximate distance of 210nm.
The yachts started to assemble at the start line 20-30 minutes before
the starter's gun, officiated by Principal Race Officer Ted Anderson,
who got the fleet away to a perfect starboard start aboard the majestic
super maxi cruising yacht "Cambria II', owned by John David. Darren
Digney, Commodore of Coffs Harbour Yacht Club was the guest starter as
he blew the gun to start of the race.
The conditions for the start saw the breeze blowing out of the SSE
at around 8 knots, on a 2m undulating swell and an ebbing tide. The
reaching start line had most of the fleet favouring the pin end of the
line as this was the shortest route to Cape Three Points, the first
landmark before turning North to head towards Boondelbah Island,
approximately 70nm North and the first rounding mark of the race.
Only one boat had to be officially recalled to the star line , sail
number 8838, Grant Halliday's Sydney 38 'The Business' as it hit the
start line too early. A few others including one of the pre-race
favourites, Peter Harburg's 'Spirit of Queensland' realised they had
gone too early, perhaps misjudging the ebbing tide, and jybed
themselves back around to re-start the race. All were on the first line
of starters.
Best off the start line was the 60 foot Reichel Pugh, 'Wild Joe' owned
by Steven David who got off to a flyer and was best at the pin end.
They had a perfect start judging the run out tide and conditions to
perfection. The laid Cape Three Points and by then had opened up a
handy lead as they cracked their Code Zero and started to pull away
from 'Spirit of Qld' and Bill Ebsary's 'Le Billet' back in third. This
Beneteau 44.7, is the current leader of the IRC series and defending
IRC champion from the 2006-07 Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Offshore
series.
'Wild Joe' at the start of the alternate race to the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race today - photo by Andrea Francolini
'Le Billet' started midway between the pin end and the middle of
the line was next best off the start with the Sydney 46, 'Mahligai',
owned by Murray Owen out of the CYCA, following closely behind starting
a little further south still. The Swan 45, 'Tulip' (formerly Ginger)
now owned by Bernie Van't Hof was blasted before the start but still
managed to recover and got away reasonably well.
Most of the fleet were able to lay Maitland Island, however some of
the smaller boats who were lower and slower had to tack to get around
Cape Three Points. The fleet should enjoy a spinnaker run up to Port
Stephens this evening.
Chris Stone, Race Director was "extremely pleased'' with the start and
relieved the race was underway after the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht
Club's decision early this morning to run this alternate course due to
the forecasted conditions off the mid North coast , predicted to
deteriorate and become severe over the next 24-48 hours.
The first sked is due at 6pm tonight, so positions of the afternoon's
racing will be better known and reported around 8pm tonight.
The front runners are expected to finish sometime mid morning tomorrow
depending on conditions. The central coast locals & Novacastrians
are enjoying watching the fleet sail by this afternoon and into the
evening. However, tomorrow will be a day for Sydneysiders to enjoy the
spectacle of the fleet as they sail past the Northern Beaches to Botany
Bay for the second rounding mark, just inside Botany Bay. The fleet
will then turn for home to finish just inside Pittwater's entrance
under Barrenjoey Headland tomorrow and Friday.
The decision today to run an alternate course only saw 8 boats
withdraw from the original fleet of 68 intending to sail in the
Pittwater to Coffs Harbour ocean race. The biggest of these and the
pre-race favourite was unfortunately Bob Oatley's 'Wild Oats X',
skippered by Mark Richards, who along with have opted for some R&R
with families and a well deserved break. Others not to contest the
alternate race from the original line-up were 'Crossing', 'Gaia',
'Isabella', 'MRZ', 'Pucker Up', 'Rosebud', and 'Stomp.' Roger
Sturgeon's 'Rosebud', the Hobart winner pulled out two days back after
abandoning her audacious attempt to get back to Pittwater after an
arduous delivery back across Bass Strait and Phillip Harvey's 'Pucker
Up', the Murray 42 from the RQYS, who pulled out after ironically
getting stuck in Coffs Harbour just after Christmas due to weather
conditions, on their way down for the Pittwater & Coffs Harbour
Offshore Series.
Report by Damian Devine 5:30pm
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