Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race 2012 – Penfold Audi Sport in jeopardy

by Peter Campbell on 27 Dec 2012
Penfold Audi Sport Andrea Francolini Photography http://www.afrancolini.com/
The Good Guys Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race 2012 has not been kind for Melbourne sailor David Ellis and the crew of handicap honours favourite Penfold Audi Sport, which is in the verge of withdrawing from competition after sustaining a hull and rudder damage at Beauty Point.

One of the favourites for handicap honours in The Good Guys Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race, the Victorian yacht Penfold Audi Sport, has suffered hull and rudder damage at Beauty Point and may have to withdraw from the race around Tasmania’s east coast.

With only two-and-a-half hours to the start off Inspection Head on the Tamar River, owner/skipper David Ellis and his crew are attempting to repair a crack in the hull and set sail in pursuit of the fleet.

Because of shipping movements out of Bell Bay, the start has been postponed from 11am to 11.45pm, leaving Ellis until 3.45pm to get to the start line as a late starter.

'At the moment the tide is not high enough to get the boat out of the water, and then we will have limited time to satisfactorily repair the crack, which is near the rudder post,' Ellis said at 9.30am.

'We will do our best to get to the line and set sail in pursuit of the fleet, but things are not looking too good at the moment,' he added.

Penfold Audi Sport, an Archambault 31 from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria was being put back in the water at the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club slipway yesterday afternoon when it apparently tilted back in the cradle, damaging the its rudder.

The rudder damage appeared minimal, but this morning crew members climbed inside the hull and discovered the crack near the rudder stock.

'We are very sorry about the damage to David’s boat, as he has been a great enthusiast for the race since competing last year. However, he is making a valiant effort to get to the start line, even though it may some hours late,' Race Director Ron Bugg told other competitors at this morning’s pre-race briefing at the Tamar Yacht Club’s Beauty Point clubhouse.

'They have four hours after the official start to be ranked as a starter.'

The past 24 hours has not been a good time for David Ellis, a Port Phillip ship’s pilot and successful yachtsman

Bugg has faced another problem this morning – delaying the start of the 285 nautical mile race. The L2H race was due to start off Inspection Head wharf at 11am but a freighter due to sail from Bell Bay at 12 noon has had its sailing time brought forward to 11.30pm.

'If we started the race as scheduled there was the real possibility that the freight and the fleet would be trying to negotiate the narrow reaches of the lower Tamar River near George Town at the same time,' Bugg explained.

'The freighter will be moving with the strong ebbing tide and should be well down the river by the time we start the race,’ he added.

'We fly the postponement flag signifying the delayed start with the official start time now11.45am,' he added.

The progress of the fleet in The Good Guys Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race can be followed on Ocean Ocean Tracker Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race 2012
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeMaritimo M600Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Related Articles

18th Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona day 1
Opening victories and nautical splendor This week, Barcelona once again takes center stage in the world of classic sailing as the 18th edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica gets under way. The opening day delivered ideal conditions for a spectacular display on the water.
Posted today at 12:28 pm
Rolex Fastnet Race: IRC Two Preview
With 73 entries in IRC Two, the Rolex Fastnet Race is set to deliver a striking display. Could two new JPK 1050s upset the apple cart in IRC Two? Jean-Pierre Kelbert has a habit of breaking the mould in IRC racing, and his new 34-footer may well be a game changer in this competitive division with 73 entries.
Posted today at 10:36 am
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay overall
Tight Racing and Tactical Brilliance The final day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup brought sunshine, shifting breeze, and two exciting races that kept the championship wide open until the very last run.
Posted today at 8:13 am
Seldén Rodkicker 50 - manual rigid vang
Specifically sized for yachts between 50 and 55 feet A Rodkicker rigid vang is designed to enhance sail handling during reefing and allows for greater sail trim control.
Posted today at 8:00 am
WASZP Games 2025: Talent & fun descend on Weymouth
Poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history The 2025 International WASZP Games, set to take place from July 19–25 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, are poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history.
Posted today at 7:23 am
Transpac 2025 Update: Moon River Tonight!
The magic of offshore racing in the 2025 Transpac A vast ocean separates Los Angeles, California, from Honolulu, Hawaii, but the boats racing in this year's Transpac have now crossed the halfway mark. Race leaders are in the tradewinds and making their approach to the Aloha State.
Posted today at 12:26 am
20 Canadians set for Long Beach Grand Slam Event
The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta will be held July 12-20 20 Canadian sailors will take part in the fourth and next-to-last event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, to be held July 12-20 at one of the two Olympic venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Posted on 10 Jul
All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around.
Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing.
Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water.
Posted on 10 Jul