AUSMAID WINS JOICO IMS TITLE.

by Ian Grant on 18 Aug 2000 Former Sydney Hobart race winner Ausmaid claimed another important trophy at Hayman Island with a close win in the highly competitive IMS class championship.

The combination of master Tasmanian mariner Roger Hickman as principal helmsman and owner Kevan Pearce of South Australia as tactician placed Ausmaid in the right places on the course to win the 7 race series over American Farr 40 World title winner James Richardson in Barking Mad and three times Port Douglas Clipper Cup winner Wayne Millar in the Townsville sloop Zoe.

Richardson narrowly beaten by two points in his first regatta on Australian waters totally enjoyed the sailing experience.

"Hayman Island is a fantastic yacht racing venue and a great series, if we have the opportunity we will come back to race again".

"The winds were tricky with massive shifts up to 60 degrees but we learnt to cope with that". He Said.

Barking Mad proved her overall consistency with second place in IMS second in the equally competitive IRC Class behind Heaven Can Wait and fifth in the Performance Handicap class won by David Pescud's crew of sailors with disabilities in the new David Lyons designed 54 footer Aspect Computing.

This result was a fitting reward for Pescud who has devoted his career as a shipwright building the sloop from limited finances to provide less fortunate sailors to enjoy the thrill of ocean yacht racing.

The new Aspect Computing competing with an almost bare sail locker apart from a headsail 2 spinnakers and main won the Performance Handicap tile by 3 points over Heaven Can Wait (Warren Johns) and Zoe.

Skipper Pescud will have to build a new trophy cabinet to make place for the Joico trophy which will be placed alongside the Hog's Breath Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach line honours trophy won in 1999 and the Telstra Sydney Hobart Performance Handicap trophy won in the tragic 1998 race.