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Sail-World.com : Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Race - Talkin' about records
Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Race - Talkin' about records
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'Robert Oatley’s 100ft super maxi Wild Oats XI, the clear line honours favourite in the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.'
Andrea Francolini ©
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Mark Richards typically doesn’t like to speculate on breaking records until Wild Oats XI, the 100ft supermaxi he helms, has sliced time off the previous best. But at this morning’s final weather briefing for the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race there was a certain glint in his eye.
While the best pressure in this year’s 384 nautical mile race will come once the leading crews are ensconced at Southport Yacht Club, supermaxis such as Wild Oats XI only need to average 14.6 knots to claim one of the mighty Brindabella’s remaining race records – and they can reach at speeds of 15 knots in just 5 knots of pressure.
Still, it’s been 11 years since George Snow’s Jutson 79 Brindabella ran hard for the first 24 hours to set a time of 27hrs, 35 mins and 43 seconds for the 384 nautical mile course, a time that has tantalised and remained elusive thanks to the black hole, the transition zone where the south east trade winds start close at the NSW/QLD border.
One man who is happy to talk about records is Lindsay May who was navigating Brindabella in 1999.
He remembers it as one of the most exhilarating rides he ever experienced on the Sydney maxi, 'it was like the boat was in a tunnel of water but it wasn’t a particularly wet race, we didn’t bury the bow because the breeze was on the quarter.
'We were at Port Stephens lighthouse in five hours then as the night progressed the seaway got up around Seal Rocks. I remember it was pitch black and we were surfing down waves and all you could see was the spray in the nav lights.
'At South Solitary Island Bob Fraser was steering square trying to scrape through past Black Rock when we Chinese gybed, our only real wipe out.
'On that first night we hit a top speed of 28.4 knots, these days those sorts of speeds are common for the big boats and even the TP52s.
'It staggers me that the record has held but no one’s had consistent breeze getting north before they hit the interchange, which really is a lucky dip,' May added.
Aboard that year were the likes of Bob Fraser, Hugo van Kretschmar, Tony Hearder...all the legends. Many of that original crew will put to sea today racing on Lahana and Love & War with memories of that year still fresh.
If the race was starting a day later there’s a very good chance the longstanding record would tumble but given the forecast for lightening winds Sunday ahead of a W/SW front which will push strong cold winds north, it’s very up in the air.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Kenn Batt advised crews from the 75 competing boats at this morning’s briefing to pack their thermals, with mild daytime temperatures falling dramatically at night.
Esteemed round the world navigator Will Oxley will be aboard Geoff Ross’ RP55 Yendys and he’s putting his money on it being a small boat race for handicap honours.
'Whatever happens Sunday will determine the outcome. The front looks to be pretty solid and it will push the small boats up, it’s looking like a small boat race.'
Skies are clearing for today’s 1pm race start off Steele Point, Sydney Harbour and a light west nor’wester between 5 to 15 knots should greet the fleet at the line.
The CYCA’s yacht tracker system allows members of the public and media to track their favourite yachts throughout the race. Each yacht is fitted with an Inmarsat D+ transmitter, which automatically updates the yacht’s latitude, longitude, course over ground and speed over ground – and transmits that information via satellite and then onto the race website http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au. In addition to showing each yacht’s position, the yacht tracker system also shows the distance to finish line, as well as its progressive corrected time position under the IRC and PHS handicap divisions.
Audi Australia together with ONE HD, Australia’s only dedicated free-to-air digital sports channel, will show highlights from the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race on Monday 23 August at 8.30pm on ONE HD, as part of the four episode wrap of the Audi IRC Australian Championship.
by Lisa Ratcliff
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http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=72733
12:13 AM Sat 31 Jul 2010 GMT
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