Raw Nerve leads Brisbane to Gladstone multihulls

by Rob Kothe on 6 Apr 2007 Last Easter Victorian orthodontist Martyn Riley steered his maxi catamaran Raw Nerve to her third consecutive line honours win in the Multihull class Brisbane to Gladstone Race, and today she's aiming for a fourth line honours win.

Her 2004 race record of 18-55-09 for the 308 mile course looked safe this morning, ahead of the start off Manly Pier, the breeze was around a half knot. But there was a dark line of breeze coming in from the north east. The fleet was gunned away at 11am in a breeze of around eight knots.

Robert Sherwood’s Akimbo won the start ahead of Keith Glover’s Trilogy, with Richard Jenkin’s Dancing Emu close behind.

Within 200 metres Raw Nerve had applied the needle and was moving at twice the speed of the rest of the fleet.

New Caledonian Philippe Coste’ Rogntudjuuu was slow off the start line; she’s lower rated on OMR handicap and will have a tough task to best the defending champion in the line honours drag race.

Geoff Toomey’s Spellbound provided start line drama as such, picking up the barging buoy and dragged it away. She was last across the line.

It’s a big boat fleet but the two other 50 footers, Glen Rutherford’s Earthling and Mike Hodges’ Renaissance, are expected to sail at a much statelier pace.

APC Max was second, last year and was well placed heading for the first mark this morning, she is looking for a podium place, but she will have to fight off Trilogy.

Here is the final fleet list

Boat Name OMR PR
Akimbo 0.8940
APC Max 1.1090
Black Diamond 2 0.6600
Captain Jack 2 0.7350
Catalina 0.7050
Cutloose 0.8480
Earthling 0.8480
Free Spirit 0.9050
Iris of Bergen 0.7250
Ketos 0.6810
Rajah 0.6320
Raw Nerve 1.2300
Renaissance 0.8650
Rogntudjuuu 1.2000