Wild Oats X wins Molle Island Race

by Rob Kothe on 30 Aug 2008 A light 8-10 knot breeze for the start of the final race in the 2008 Audi Hamilton Island series. Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest, with Jamie MacPhail driving and Julian Plante from North Sails calling tactics, started from Dent Island end of line inside the Bob Oatley’s Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X.

Behind them Ray Roberts Cookson 50 Quantum Racing gybed shortly after the start crossing behind many of the fleet.

Peter Harburg’s 66 footer Black Jack, who has been the line honours leader for much of the regatta started badly buried in the fleet over near the Harbour wall.

In contrast Graeme Troon’s XLR 8 had a good start on the Harbour side and blasted across the passage with speed.

At the Dent Island corner Stephen David's Wild Joe had come from the second row with good pressure along the Dent shore and swung into second place.

Wild Oats X swung wide. Yesterday the Oats X canting keel motor had burnt out, not sure if it got fixed. It could be the big boat is sailing with a fixed keel today. Not matter what Hamilton Island CEO Glen Bourke who has been calling tactics, Mark Richards and the experienced crew had no enjoyed being beaten by Black Jack this week and were looking for a final race line honours win.

By the corner Graeme Troon's XLR8 was third, Flirt was fourth, while Black Jack was 80 metres wide trailed by Quantum. Michael Hiatt’s fixed keel Cookson 50 Living Doll was on the inside too.

Out wide Andrew Shorts 80 footer Shockwave, recovering from a slow start, powered in between Geoff Ross’ Yendys and the wider Quantum Racing, with Alan Whiteley’s TP52 Cookson Cougar II following, then came Rob Bassett’s Wired just ahead of Geoff Boettcher's Secret Mens Business III.

Wild Oat X hit the lead as the fleet headed for the southern tip of South Molle and Black Jack began to thread her way up the fleet, as the two big boats headed for the tip of North Molle, Wild Oats X had a 500 metre lead on her Queensland brother.

As the two leaders were approaching the top of Henning Island on the way back to Hamilton Island, the lead has shrunk to 200 metres, but Wild Oats X held on to cross the line just four boats lengths ahead of her rival.

IRC - GRAND PRIX

Race 9     (30/08/2008)  PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Results updated on :  30/08/2008  14:10:13

IRC Div1 results Start : 10:10:00 South Molle/Daydream Island Race

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Elapsd	AHC	HC Cor'd T	Skipper	Score	Fin Tim	ETOrd
1	AUS7001	WILD OATS X	02:39:00	1.590	04:12:49	Robert Oatley	1.0	12:49:00	1
2	52002	QUEST	03:09:50	1.345	04:15:20	Bob Steel	2.0	13:19:50	5
3	AUS7002	WILD JOE	02:51:57	1.501	04:18:06	Steven David	3.0	13:01:57	4
4	52566	BLACK JACK	02:40:44	1.617	04:19:54	Peter Harburg	4.0	12:50:44	2
5	USA50062	SHOCKWAVE- CLUB MARI	02:51:21	1.536	04:23:12	Andrew Short	5.0	13:01:21	3
6	AUS1836	YENDYS	03:12:39	1.377	04:25:17	Geoffrey Ross	6.0	13:22:39	6
7	SM460	XLR8	03:29:13	1.301	04:32:12	Graeme Troon	7.0	13:39:13	8
8	YC3300	SECRET MENS III	03:30:34	1.311	04:36:03	Geoffrey Boettcher	8.0	13:40:34	10
9	SM5200	COUGAR II	03:26:23	1.348	04:38:12	Alan Whiteley	9.0	13:36:23	7
10	R50	LIVING DOLL	03:34:32	1.311	04:41:15	Michael Hiatt	10.0	13:44:32	12
11	SM2008	AUDI CENTRE MELBOURN	03:35:55	1.314	04:43:43	Chris Dare	11.0	13:45:55	13
12	8899	QUANTUM RACING	03:33:25	1.355	04:49:11	Raymond Roberts	12.0	13:43:25	11
13	NZL10303	WIRED	03:30:13	1.401	04:54:31	Rob Bassett	13.0	13:40:13	9
14	NZL10007	PUSSY GALORE	03:37:27	1.359	04:55:31	Anatole Masfen	14.0	13:47:27	14

In Division 2, there is just a point between two boats for the series win. The Michjael Spies skipper Beneteau 45 Honey Suckle came from the Dent end of the line, while the smaller Rod Jones skippered Archambault 40 Alegria the series leader, came across from the Hamilton end of the line, with her pole almost on the forestay. She had more than a knot of extra speed and she swept outside Honeysuckle at the corner, plenty more miles in this race, but certainly a better start for the series leader.

Two of Oceanburo team on Alegria were ashore today, as a light day was expected for the Sea Donkey. This will be a very tactical race with the tide ebbing north; the race can be won and lost, on the decision of where to cross back from the tip of North Molle to the Hamilton Island side.