Hamilton Island Race Week - Molle Island Race - Progress report

by Rob Kothe on 29 Aug 2009 The final race of the 26th annual Hamilton Island Race Week. A north easter was expected for the Dent Passage start of the Molle Island Race this morning. Instead there was a 6-8 knot south wester under cloudy skies, a signal for tacticans it was going to be a difficult day in the office.

The IRC Division 1 and 2, the IRC Passage 1 and Invitational fleet were sent out on the full course to South Molle, up past Day Dream (West Molle Island) thence to the top of North Molle and home, a distance of 23.3 nautical miles.

The balance of the 194 boat fleet sailed the shorter Course 7, the 17.5 nm White Rock Race.

In Grand Prix Division 1 Steven Ainsworth’s Reichel Pugh 62 Loki broke the start and the Norwegian Weather God seemed to scowl as the kite came down and she sailed back into the tide to restart.

As the leaders rounded the corner into the Whitsunday Passage, the series leader, Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll split her kite and with a messy drop she was prawning for a few costly minutes.

Up ahead Peter Harburg’s Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack was fast away and led Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X by five or six lengths as they headed for South Molle.

Last year the Oats took line honours in this race in a gentle south easter; it will be interesting to see if Mark Bradford and the crew aboard Black Jack can hold out their rival.

Behind, the fleet streamed across the Channel with the ebbing tide, there were poles on the forestay with the very shy reach.

Once past the shoal on the southern tip of South Molle Wild Oats X and Steven David’s RP 60 Wild Joe headed for the mainland shore but as the wind swung round to the north east they died there. Black Jack sailed into a hole too and the little boats streamed around her.

Ray Roberts Cookson 50 Evolution Racing, the smallest of the Big Boat fleet, was first around the north tip of Day Dream with Scarlet Runner and Living Doll.

In the dying breeze many of the boats were virtually becalmed off Mid Molle Reef, but gradually Living Doll crept into the lead and Black Jack and Wild Oats X have caught up to the pack.

On the eastern side of the Molle's in the Whitsunday Passage there is a gentle six knot easterly. Living Doll led Wild Joe around the top of North Molle and into the new breeze. There are now six boats heading for home.

In the White Rock Race, the Cruising Divisions look like they might have a shortened race with a finish there.