Limit set for line honours Audi Sydney Mackay race
by Lisa Ratcliff on 1 Aug 2007
David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities - Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
Sailing in an eight knot sou’easterly breeze east of the rhumbline between Rockhampton and the Percy Isles, Alan Brierty’s Limit is heading for a line honours win in the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race.
With 100 nautical miles to go, their ETA for a finish is around 7am tomorrow morning, Thursday 2 August.
David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities is some 20 miles astern and is unlikely to catch the Corby 49 but Pescud and his crew aren’t being pessimistic. In fact there’s a non-stop party going on on board the Lyons 54 said the skipper this afternoon.
'It’s just one party after the other,' said Pescud.
'This morning I had to sweep the sequins off the deck and tonight the bow has invited the stern for cocktails.'
With little chance of catching Brierty and his experienced crew, which includes sailing master Roger Hickman, a veteran of 30 Rolex Sydney Hobart races, Pescud has had to call for help.
'I just had a chat with God and asked him to turn the wind off where Limit is, then we can just sail right past.'
On a more serious note, Pescud reported that the boat, crew and provisions are holding up well and he expects they will finish the 898 nautical mile race around 8pm tomorrow night. With a crew bet on the finish time, Pescud says he’ll make sure they finish at that time.
SWD has been at sea since 1pm Saturday afternoon when the Audi Sydney Gold Coast and Mackay races started from Sydney Harbour.
SWD and three other boats, Limit, Dennis Cooper’s Amante and Ian Sanford’s Tartan, passed through the Audi Sydney Gold Coast finish line off Southport and are continuing on to Mackay on the north Queensland coast, gateway to the upcoming Whitsunday regattas Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the latter today reaching a record entry of 206 boats.
Based on current speeds, Amante and Tartan are due to finish the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race on Sunday 5 August, eight days after setting out.
Audi Australia www.audi.com.au
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