Heaven Can Wait 2012 Record fleet may see record speeds

by Heaven Can Wait Media on 29 Sep 2012 The seventh annual Heaven Can Wait race fleet will blast off the start line off the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto at 11am today.

It will be a record fleet, 70+ boats, an amazing mix of sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes, sailing in three races on Lake Macquarie, the iconic 24 hour race, a new 12 hour race and the very popular One Lap Dash.

With a cold front will a southwesterly change to the Lake today, winds of 12 to 16 knots from the North West will swing to southwesterly lifting to 20 + knots in the afternoon and then easing back slightly for the balance of the 12 and 24 hour races, providing perfect conditions for boats like the foiling Moths, 18 footers and the top sports boats in the country.

Last night at the annual Heaven Can Wait dinner, Moth World Champion Josh McKnight predicted that the One Lap Dash race record could go.

He said ‘Scott Babbage ( the world number 2) and I expect to have a very tight battle; over the last 18 months we have worked very hard to stay upright in heavy winds and we’ve made big speed gains that suggest Nathan Outteridge’s 2010 Race Record of 2 hours and 7 minutes will be in danger. If we get the wind that is predicted it will be great sailing. When it blows like that Lake Macquarie (the home of the 2010 World Championships) is like Moth Heaven. ‘‘

The wild card this year will be the Kite boarders, these superfast craft hold the world speed record and they could blast the Moths away if they get the right wind angles.

With the Kites now listed as an Olympic Sailing Class for the 2016 Olympics, the Heaven Can Wait Yacht Club is the first in Australia to have kite boarders sailing in a major long race.

In the 24 hour race, Bob Cowan’s Stealth 8 will be aiming for yet another Line Honours win but the spanner in the works will be Tom and Belinda Braidwood’s beautifully restored Nelson Marek 43 offshore racer Quest.

It’s certainly shaping as an epic battle right across this record fleet.

Media wishing to cover the race should contact Rob Kothe from Heaven Can Wait Yacht Club on 0418 441359