Spectacular upwind start expected for 31st Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race

Monday 2 January, 2011

By Damian Devine

A fleet of 45 yachts will start the 31st Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race at 1pm today with upwind conditions forecast for the start for the first offshore race of the New Year

Following a race briefing and welcome function last night at the RPAYC , the skippers' regathered at 0900hrs this morning for the mandatory weather briefing before they departed the marina for the Barrenjoey start line.

Michael Logan from BOM presented the briefing summed it up beautifully, “I will keep it brief, in two words, North East.” He did elaborate but essentially with a stationery high covering the Tasman this is the forecast for competitors, summer has finally arrived and with a perfect sunny day with 26 degrees the maximum temperature and a building sea breeze, it makes for the perfect ingredients for a great start.

Michael Logan, BOM at the weather briefing

The fleet will start in a 15 knot Nor’ Easter building to a stiff 20 knots and possibly 25 knots in patches later in the day and into the first night. Further north the breeze will get lighter and early tomorrow there will be pockets of light, land breeze that the fleet will look to  capitalise on.

So it looks set to be a race on the nose for the 31st with all the skippers’ expecting a tough, tactical race to windward all the way to Coffs Harbour..

Line honors favourite and one of the largest in the fleet will be Craig Ellis’ Elliot 57 ‘Future Shock’ who is doing his 15^th Coffs race.  Ellis said, “The weather briefing will make for a very tactical race north. Having just rushed back from a 330km kayak race that took 29 hours I am feeling it in my back and shoulders. The boat is half way up the coast from Sydney as we can't get over the bar in Pittwater it makes for a long trip on the morning. We have 12 experienced crew on board and a good sail wordrobe to get us there as quickly as possible, we're really  looking forward to the start.”

With the forecast, the race record of 18hrs 29mins 14secs, held by ‘Wild Oats IX’,  looks safe for another year.

Richard Hudson owner / skipper of the Farr 45 ‘Pretty Woman’ and one of the handicap contenders said, “The forecast should suit us, we have some brand new sails and a good crew on board. The strategy will be to get off the line cleanly, find clear air and find the straightest route there. Obviously looking for those pockets of land breeze early tomorrow when the breeze softens will be one of the keys and could be crucial to the outcome. We’re hoping this will be our year but time will tell. We'll give it our best shot. It should be a good race.”

There is a cracking fleet prepared for this race and ready to take out the handicap honours in the IRC, ORCi, PHS and Shorthanded Divisions.

The boats prepare to leave the RPAYC dock

For some it will be their first Coffs race. One of these to enter the arena is Brendan Lyon’s Carter 33, ‘Fast Forward’ from the  Botany Bay Yacht Club.  Lyon said, “We’re really looking forward to the race. This will be our first long offshore race, so it’ll be a big learning curve for us. Our crew is a mix of experienced and new sailors, so it’ll be a great learning experience and great fun. We’re all good mates so with warm weather and a long passage race to Coffs, it’s a perfect way to kick off 2012.

RPAYC Commodore Rob Curtis said, “We extend a warm welcome to all competitors and with the Coffs race having a long and strong history we have no doubt the 31st event will once again be competitive, challenging and fun for all concerned. We have a competitive field from a broad range of boats from across Australia, which is fantastic.  226 nautical miles on the nose is a long way but I wish everyone well, have a great race and we'll see you all in Coffs Harbour."

There was plenty of activity from dawn  today at the host Club, The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, with skippers and crew putting final preparations to their boats and saying goodbye to loved ones,  in readiness for the race.

The Category Two  226nm race known affectionately as the “warm water classic” gives competitors the opportunity to turn left and enjoy a tactical challenge between the current and the beaches, as they track their way north around spectacular headlands to the warm and hospitable destination of Coffs Harbour.

For the record, the fleet will come from 3 states representing more than 16 yacht clubs extending from Hamilton Island in the North to Brighton in the South. In IRC there will be 26 racing with 19 in PHS contesting the inaugural Australian Performance Handicap (PHS) championships.

The five race regatta kicks off with the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race today followed by two sprint and two 20nm offshore races in Coffs Harbour on 5th and 6th January to round out the regatta. The Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Regatta offers IRC, ORCi, PHS and shorthanded Divisions and also incorporates the inaugural Australian performance handicap (PHS) Championships.

Each boat will once again be fitted with a 'Yellowbrick' satellite GPS tracker and positions will be updated on the event website every 15 minutes during the race. A brand new addition to the race is the Yellowbrick iPhone App, available on iTunes.

Follow all the action here on the event website at www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au

Storm sails ready - a cracking day on Pittwater