Two seconds separate yachts after 80 hours

by Media Services on 4 Aug 2004 After 384 gruelling miles at sea the last few miles produced a ferocious tacking duel between 2003 Rolex Sydney to Hobart IRC handicap winner, Mr Beaks, previously known as First National and Game Set, the Match 38.

Game Set were 15 miles behind earlier on the final day but during a long afternoon on the last day at sea caught and match raced their rival, tack for tack to the finish line.

Two seconds, less than a metre, separated the boats with Game Set winning.

The Match 38 also took second place in IRC division D, behind the well sailed Andrew Cochrane’s S&S Pendragon, who just missed out on the overall IRC trophy.

‘We managed to catch the pack in front of us earlier in the afternoon and covered Mr Beaks from then to the finish line, commented a very tired Tony Kirby, owner/skipper of Game Set, the crew have worked hard for every mile in this race’.

Both crews had sailed a frustrating and exhausting race, sailing for the majority of the race in fluky and light conditions. We sailed as hard as we could all the way. Off Coffs Harbour, hometown for one of our crew members, we sailed within 10 metres of the Coffs Harbour breakwater, trying to extract every advantage we could.

When the breeze built it was on the nose for the little production boat, not the conditions they had hoped for. ‘We can now look towards Hog’s Breath Race Week and Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island to improve on these results’ remarked Kirby.

Game Set placed 12th in IRC over all and second in IRC division D. Crew members on Game Set are Tony Kirby, Adam Barnes, Bradshaw Kellett, Dave Davies, Wayne Benson, Martin French, Mark Gorman and Richard Hall.

For more information on the Ingles Sydney to Gold Coast race go to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au

North South Yachting is the agent for the Bavaria designed boats and more information can be viewed at www.northsouthyachting.com.au