#Trim(mainLayout.Name)# Advertising Info Advertising Info

News Home Text Only News 2010 America's Cup Powerboat-World MarineBusiness World World Cruising
Canadian News
 


Sail-World.com : Alegria lines up for inaugural Pacific Cup series
Alegria lines up for inaugural Pacific Cup series

'Archambault 35 ALEGRIA at 2007 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Andrea Francolini/Audi'    Andrea Francolini ©    Click Here to view large photo
Rod Jones and his 2007 Audi Australian IRC class ocean racing champions have been selected to represent Australia in the inaugural Pacific Cup series in August, at Hamilton Island.

The composite crew of Mooloolaba Dinghy Club and Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club members expressed their exceptional talent to claim their first National team selection on the back of their runaway Australian title success.

Alegria will fly the Queensland battle flag when she lines up with the New South Wales sloop Yendys (Geoff Ross) and the inform Victorian yacht Living Doll (Michael Hiatt) for the Trans Tasman clash against the equally impressive New Zealand team of Pussy Galore, Wired and Carrera.

Meanwhile the crew have commenced training on the impressive new Archambault 40 Alegria after successfully defending their Queensland championship with the smaller Archambault 35 which outclassed Australia’s best to win the prestigious Audi A4 car as the 2007 national blue water racing champions.

They will face their first serious ocean racing challenge for 2008 with the new and slightly longer Alegria during the physically and tactically demanding 384 nautical mile Audi Sydney to Gold Coast race starting on Saturday July 26.

Skipper Jones has no form guide apart from their successful 2007 results however he believes the added waterline length of the new Alegria will be an advantage in strong winds and the associated rough water racing environment.

Crews on the smaller yachts do it real tough when the seas rough up and the Alegria crew learnt this lesson in the stronger wind races at Hamilton Island last year.

But like all good crews the Alegria team still managed to outpace several of their larger rivals.

'Sure we lacked the ‘grunt’ and got hammered a bit; it is something you have to expect'.

'Personally I was impressed with my crew who really make my role an enjoyable experience'. Rod Jones said.

However during the next 30 days both skipper Rod Jones and sailing master Kai Timm and their talented crew including the Audi Queensland SB3 Dart Match Racing champion Sean O’Rourke will continue to fine tune their new challenger.

The regular flow of cold South Westerly wind systems suggest the crew of warmer water Sunshine Coast sailors will face a supreme test of endurance and tactical racing on a narrow corridor between the pounding surf and the strong flowing Southerly current.

They have learnt to understand that racing on the Australian coast during the winter months is no ‘joy-ride’ and have learnt to accept that torment and torture associated with the chill factor in wind and spray has to be tolerated to achieve success.

Alegria, Yendys, Living Doll and the Syd Fisher helmed Ragamuffin are ranked among the top handicap chances while the Steven David skippered Wild Joe and the Peter Harburg owned and Mark Bradford skippered Black Jack remain as the early line honours favourites.

Black Jack recently imported from America has the proven speed potential to win line honours in her first race in Australia but her result will be determined on how quickly her crew adjusts from being smart individuals to becoming a clever combination only time on the deck will tell.




by Ian Grant   11:21 AM Wed 25 Jun 2008 GMT


Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.
If you want to send this story to a friend, please use link below
http://www.sail-world.com/USA/Alegria-lines-up-for-inaugural-Pacific-Cup-series/45739



Based on your current download speed Sail-World has delivered large images (660 pixels long side.)  If you would like to see only small images (300 pixels long side) click here .  For medium sized images (500 pixels long side) click here .


 
Our Advertisers are committed to our sport, please support them!
This site and its contents are © Copyright TetraMedia Pty.Ltd and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved.
Photographs are copyright by law, if you wish to use an image from Sail-world.com, Powerboat-world.com or Marinebusiness-world.com, Contact us .
or complete our feedback form    Contact us .
   View our Privacy Policy.    [Go Home]     [Bot Archive ]  

Customised news feeds -Marine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have their own customised version of our Sail-World news feed on their website.
Look_here_to_see_examples