Clive Peeters Launceston Hob fleet makes good time

by Peter Campbell on 29 Dec 2007 The 21-boat fleet in the Clive Peeters Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race has made excellent time overnight since sailing through Banks Strait and heading down the Tasmanian East Coast.

During the night the leading monohull, Jeff Cordell's Mumm 36 Host Plus Executive from the Bellerive Yacht Club, reported she was racing south under spinnaker before a 25 knot north-westerly.

At the 0600 'sked' with the fleet this morning, Host Plus Executive was abeam of Bicheno, sailing in the wake of the multihull Dequello, skippered by John Brierly.

Astern of these two came the Tamar Yacht Club's Haphazard, Nick Edmunds' fastAdams/Radford 12, followed by Farr South, X-Rated, Oedipus Complex and Asylum.

At that stage Oedipus Complex, a Mumm 30 skippered by Steve Harrison from the Port Esperence Sailing Club, Australia' southernmost yacht club, looked well placed on handicap.

However, race director John Williams received a report at the Derwent Sailing Squadron later this morning that Oedipus Complex had suffered sail damage and was putting into Triabunna on the Tasmanian East Coast.

Williams said that while the fleet had enjoyed fast running conditions overnight and this morning, a fresh to strong southerly was blowing in Hobart and he expected this would slow down the fleet later today.

The course for the Launceston to Hobart Race, and also the Melbourne to Hobart, requires the yachts to sail on the inside of Maria Island, close to the holiday and fishing town of Orford.