SAILORS WITH dis-ABILITY AIM FOR HOBART HONOURS.

by Ian Grant on 26 Dec 2000 David Pescud’s determined crew of disabled sailors are aiming for another high scoring result with Aspect Computing in the Telstra Sydney-Hobart race starting at 1pm E.S.T today.

Just two years ago the Aspect Computing sponsored ocean racing team headed by skipper Pescud and female navigator Cathy Josling sailed through the tragic Tasman Sea storm which claimed six lives to win the Performance Handicap class trophy.

This combination who suffer from various forms of disability from impaired vision to amputees originally faced a strict set of qualifying sea miles to be accepted for the physically tough Hobart race have firmed as one of the class favourites with their relatively new Lyons 53 ocean racer.

The new yacht purpose designed to be ‘user friendly’ for her crew has proved to be much faster than the old Aspect.

She powered to an impressive maiden regatta win at the Hayman Island Big Boat series in August and has continued to be a strong performer in short course racing off Sydney.

Skipper Pescud hopes to build on these results in the yachts maiden long distance race starting today.

They are linked with an impressive group of yachts to fight out the honour of recording the fastest corrected handicap time in the Performance Handicap division.

Aspect rated with the third highest time correction factor behind the South Australian Elliott 56 Doctel Rager and the Italian 28.3mketch Orsa Maggiore will have to produce a consistent boat speed in an unpredictable weather system to equal their win in 1998.

Their most serious rivals include Maynard Smith’s Queensland sloop Cruz Control which led the division in last years record breaking race before retiring with mast damage and Doctel Rager a miraculous survivor from a reef grounding on the Yorke Peninsula earlier this year.

Doctel Rager is always well sailed by skipper Gary Shanks and crew which includes his daughters Victoria and Catherine has the potential to improve on her third place overall last year.

This presents an interesting clash in a class fleet which has attracted a wide variety of designs including Aspect Computing, the 10 year old Doctel Rager, Cruz Control a comfortable cruiser racer, Matt Allen’s impressive Lyons 66 Valtair and the largest yacht in this years race Orsa Maggiore.