Wild Joe takes lead in Audi Sydney - Gold Coast

by Rob Kothe on 29 Jul 2007 Adam Beashel and the Wild Joe crew plotted a perfect course overnight to take advantage of the stronger conditions off shore in the 2007 Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Race.

All morning, as the winds have been easing, the 60 foot Reichel Pugh canting keeler has been heating up as the wind eases to slide into the lead.

As dawn broke she was 12 miles outside the race leaders and she has been closing on the coast all morning.

Now she has hit the lead near Evans Head with Wild Oats X and Ichi Ban, now two nautical miles to the west and a mile behind.

Navigator David Dickson reports, ‘We can see the other two boats clearly.

'Between us there is a pod of breaching whales going south, just enough to break the nervous tension as we close onto the Wild Oats track.

‘The wind is dying slowly as it swings to the south along the coast.

'The race has now begun all over again, and the tactics are being plotted like a game of liquid chess as the breeze changes.

‘Our game plan has not altered and as we head in to Cape Byron the rewards of the night’s hard work are evident. No rest now as finish is less than 70nm away.

‘On current speeds we have 7hr 20 to run but with the expected drop in wind strength it looks like 10:00pm tonight’.