Rex Gorell Prestige Etchells Aust Championship Day 3 – Driving rain

by Etchells Australian Championship 2011 Media on 13 Jan 2011 Rex Gorell Prestige Etchells Australian Championship Day 3 and the driving rain and consequential poor visibility on Corio Bay, Geelong has forced Principal Race officer Greg Sinclair to hold the Etchells fleet ashore so far today.

There is one particularly long face, amongst the waiting sailors. Grant Wharington was watching sections of an upriver boardwalk drifting towards the Rivergate Marina on National Television, as it bounced around his super maxi Wild Thing berthed there on the flooding Brisbane River.

‘We were lucky’ he said, 'she has a few holes in her but its well above the waterline and she is not sinking yet. Simon Gorman is on the boat and has patched her with plywood. The issue is that the debris coming down the River is significant, but other people have much worse problems’ said the Sydney Hobart veteran.

‘The boat is secured well to the Marina' explained Wharro, 'the River is running at 12 knots so it’s too dangerous to try and move her.'

Unconfirmed reports are that one marina further up the Brisbane River disappeared overnight, as the water level rose beyond the top of the pylons and the marina structure was swept away, with boats attached, which were crushed and broken as the pontoons broke apart.

At the Royal Geelong Yacht Club coffee machines worked overtime as the rain increased in intensity.

The Committee deemed visibility on Corio Bay had improved so the AP came down and at around 2.30pm the sailors headed to their Etchells.

The sky was dark and the rain heavy, as the fleet made their way out to the start line in an attempt to complete at least one race this afternoon.

Race 4 of the Rex Gorell Prestige Etchells Australian Championship got underway at 3.30pm with a clean start.

More to follow as it comes to hand.