Millar on his way to surf the break
by Al Constable on 26 Oct 2003
Zoe Ivor Wilkins/Offshore Images
http://www.offshoreimages.com/
This afternoon’s radio position sked confirmed the imposing lead Wayne Millar’s Zoe has in the 2003 CanTeen Gosford to Lord Howe race.
Zoe leads by two and half hours on corrected time from Thorry Gunnersen’s Tilting at Windmills, with Alex Whitworth's Berrimilla in third place.
The handicap leader is well positioned. She has been surfing ahead of a 20 knot southwester since 8am this morning in brilliant sunshine and passed the half way mark to Lord Howe a few hours ago.
Millar, a big North Queensland sailor, first sailed to the magical Lord Howe Island 20 years ago, with a bunch of surfing mates. 'For five weeks we were anchored in the Lord Howe lagoon, I am a goofy footer surfer so I favoured the left hand break. We surfed and fished all day and lived on the boat, it was a great introduction to Lord Howe Island.'
Millar has sailed into the Lord Howe lagoon on ten occasions since his surfing days. He sailed in the Brisbane to Lord Howe races before sailing in the 20th, 21st and 22nd Gosford to Lord Howe races on the Inglis 47 Decimator and in 1998, sailed his Sydney 41 B-52, into second place on IMS handicap.
In the 1998 Hobart B-52 was rolled, but Millar came back with another Sydney 41 Zoe. In 2000 he was third in the Hayman Big Boat series and in 2001, he placed third in the Australian IMS Nationals at Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week.
Then it was back to Lord Howe Island with a second on IMS in 2001 and a third in 2002. Millar is keen to win this 30th race and he has plenty of sailors with him who have previously crossed the Lagoon finish line.
Two of his Hobart veterans, boat manager Mark Vickers and Will Oxley along with four local Gosford sailors, Peter Bailey (who sailed on Decimator, B52 and Zoe), Brad Bell (who sailed with Millar to Lord Howe in 1993), veteran Brian Hansen and Jason Browne all have numerous Lord Howe’s and Hobart’s under their belts.
Sail-World has now posted this afternoons radio sked position charts and handicap and line honours calculations.
www.sail-world.com/lordhowe2003 or www.gosfordsailingclub.com.au
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