Maria Island Race - Maria Island test for Osaka sailing women's team

by Peter Campbell on 17 Nov 2017 This weekend’s 70th TasPorts Maria Island Race may be only 180 nautical miles long, but it is a significant event for women sailors Jo Breen and Joanna Harpur.

The Maria Island is their first ocean race together as they prepare to compete in next year’s 5,500 nautical mile double-handed marathon from Melbourne to Osaka, Japan.

The Maria Island Race has a twilight start at 7pm this evening from off Castray Esplanade, on the waterfront of Hobart’s historic Battery Point.

The course takes the 15 boat fleet across Storm Bay, rounding Tasman Island, and then north up the East Coast to round elongated Maria Island, named in 1644 by Abel Tasman.

After rounding the northern tip of the island, the fleet sails inside the island through the Mercury Passage and south to Tasman Island, Storm Bay and finally up the River Derwent.

Jo Breen and Joanna Harpur are sailing Jo’s yacht, Morning Star, a production version of the S&S34 Morning Cloud that won the 1969 Sydney Hobart for British Prime Minister Edward Heath.

Their next race, and qualifier for the Osaka Cup, will be the Melbourne to Hobart West Coaster in late December.

In between ocean racing, Launceston based Jo will steer a SB20in the Australian and World championships for the one-design sports boat on the Derwent in December and January this summer.

Jo Breen (28) from Launceston and Joanne Harpur (56) from Melbourne are both experienced ocean racing sailors and will be the only all-female crew in the Osaka Cup, sailing the smallest yacht in the race that starts in late March.

“I think the Maria Island Race, being over a relatively short course, will be a challenge to our boat-handling skills,” Jo said yesterday.

Also using the Maria Island Race as part of their preparation for the Osaka Cup are Tasmanians Tristian Gourlay and Jamie Cooper in their Adams 11.9 Force Eleven.

Heading the 15-boat fleet for this evening’s twilight (7pm) start off Castray Esplanade is Oskana, a powerful Cookson 50 owned and skippered by Mike Pritchard, well-known as a highly competitive Targa rally driver.

Oskana is among 109 yachts entered in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and is considered a strong prospect for overall handicap honours among a group of Cookson 50s.

“The Maria Island race is a shakedown for us for the Sydney Hobart in December,” Pritchard said yesterday.

“All our systems have been upgraded tweaked for our preference, so it will be a good test for not only the boat but our teamwork.

“Looking forward to some runway with breeze to really let her go!” Pritchard added.