Pendragon provisional IRC Sydney Gold Coast winner

by Lisa Ratcliff, CYCA on 2 Aug 2005 A heavy timber 34-foot boat, which was designed and built in New Zealand in 1983, but happened to be ‘stocked up with heavies and likes running and reaching’, has this morning been named the provisional IRC handicap winner of the 20th Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.

After numerous divisional wins and a second overall in last year’s race, Sydney-based owner/skipper, Andrew Cochrane, and his Stewart 34 Pendragon, have finally clinched the major trophy in the 384 nautical mile 20th anniversary race, before it moves to a new April timeslot next year.

‘We began competing in this event eight years ago and I’ve still got many of the same crew on board, but we’ve developed a lot in that time,’ said a delighted Cochrane this morning.

‘Each year we’ve learnt something and tried something different the following year and it’s finally paid off for us.’

While the boat may be 23 years old, it regularly sports new sails and carries a crew of highly experienced sailors.

Amongst the crew is bowman Chris Cook and navigator Nick Cleary, two of the winning Rolex Farr 40 World Championship crew members on Richard Perini’s Evolution, with Cook also on board when Perini won the Mumm 30 Worlds last year.

Tactician Tom King, who won a gold medal in the 470 class at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, brought his skill set to the Pendragon crew last year and again played an integral role in their results for this year’s race.

Crew member on the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart overall winner, First National Real Estate, and former 18-foot skiff sailor, Luke Ratcliff, has competed in 11 Sydney Hobart's and at least the same number of Sydney Gold Coast races, including the inaugural race in 1986.

Skipper Andrew Cochrane and crew member Bill Findlay also have contested numerous offshore races including Sydney Hobart’s.

‘Everyone steers and everyone trims on this boat,’ said Cochrane this morning. ‘We don’t race with the sole purpose of winning, but of course we like it when it happens.’

Provisionally, Andrew Short’s Farr 40, Club Marine (ASM), will take out the second IRC overall placing ahead of David Mason’s Beneteau 44.7, Prime Time.

Subject to protest, the provisional PHS leader of the 20th Sydney Gold Coast Race is Gunnar Tuisk and his Farr 50, Cadenza, which sailed brilliantly over the 384 nautical mile course, spending the majority of the race at the top of the PHS leaderboard.

‘It was an excellent race for us, the design of the boat and the sails really suit close reaching,’ said Tuisk this morning.

‘The crew members were mostly novices last year and they have built on their experience to come up with a great result this year.’

Paul Spira’s Dreamtime is currently second overall on PHS results, ahead of John Cameron’s More Witchcraft.

In the Sydney 38 division, Alan Brierty’s Western Australian Sydney 38, Contentious Issue, is the leading boat, subject to protest, while Geoff Bonus’ Calibre and Bruce Taylor’s Chutzpah are sitting in second and third respectively.

Only nine yachts from a fleet of 74 remain at sea and it seems every yacht will complete the passage which began from Sydney Harbour on Saturday at 1.00pm. A full fleet also finished in the 2002 Sydney Gold Coast.

As part of a major overhaul of the CYCA’s offshore racing calendar next year, the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race will move to a pre-Easter timeslot, and Southport Yacht Club has announced it will use this amendment to host a new two or three day regatta to be called the ‘Commodore’s Cup’, in between the finish of the Sydney Gold Coast and the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone Race.