| Audi Hamilton Island Line Honours battle 2 all |
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The crew of the Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X and XI regarded as Australia’s best blue water sailing combination after three consecutive line honours in the physically demanding Rolex Sydney Hobart Race has been outpaced by their match racing rival, the updated Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack (Mark Bradford) in Sunday’s two short course races. There was a clear indication that the Sydney Hobart Race champions were going to repair some lost pride when they started in clean wind just astern of the Jamie McPhail skippered TP 52 Quest while Black Jack was buried in the pack. The start advantage was extended when Wild Oats X power sailed in clear wind to take control of the race just after weathering Henning Island. She continued to produce unmatched speed logging exciting 18 knot bursts under spinnaker when they closed on Hayman Island’s Dolphin Point with a handy lead. However Black Jack continued to track the wake of Wild Oats X when the two almost identical Reichel Pugh designed sloops became engaged in their own private match race on the slog down the eastern shore of Whitsunday Island. Wild Oats X was the first to clear Surprise Rock and tactician Glenn Bourke remained cool under pressure selecting the smarter tactical options including a delayed spinnaker set while rival Black Jack hoisted their spinnaker earlier only to be driven below the lay line allowing Wild Oats X to extend her lead eventually finishing 3 minutes 32 seconds in advance of Black Jack and 20 minutes clear of the Steven David skippered Wild Joe. However while Wild Oats X, Black Jack and Wild Joe completed the testing course with impressive times they failed to fill a major place on corrected time. It was a battle of the three Cookson 50o;s when Ray Roberts skippered Quantum Racing continued to prove her pace in the longer races claiming first 51 seconds clear of Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll who just held out the fast finishing New Zealand sister ships Pussy Galore by 8 seconds. After four races Quantum Racing with the consistent fresh wind sailing score of 3-5-4-1 leads the Victorian Cookson built TP 52 Cougar (Alan Whiteley) 8-2-2-4 by 3 penalty points while Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 Living Doll remains in phase with the leaders with her 15-1-1-2 score.
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