North Sails- Cabbage Tree Island preview

by Nic Douglass on 8 Nov 2014 Things are heating up in the lead in to the Rolex Sydney Hobart?, with plenty of modifications to the major players. Get some insight from a few of the North Sails Australia team, Cocko, Alby, Nitro, and Billy ahead of the Cabbage Tree Island race tonight!

Race three of the Blue Water Pointscore Series, the Cabbage Tree Island Race, is set to get underway from 1900 hours tonight, and there is definitely competition in the air, not only amongst the boats, but a friendly rivalry within the North Sails Australia camp as well.

Michael Coxon (Cocko) and Nick Beaudoin will be on with Perpetual Loyal for the boat’s first race since the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast.

'We do not have any new sails for the Cabbage Tree', said Cocko, 'but we do have a new A2 1100M2 spinnaker coming for Hobart that shall be set off a new bow prod with an extension of 1.5M. The goal is to get the bow down to improve VMG running angles'.

'I believe we will have four celebrities with us for Hobart. The only one that is 100% confirmed at this stage is the surfer Sally Fitzgibbons who trained with us last weekend. That was her first time on a yacht and she was comfortable and picked it up quickly, even steered for an hour and had a good feel for it!'

In the other corner of the ring, Alby Pratt is certain that Wild Oats XI’s program is a winner. 'We have measured in a new mainsail this week, and we also have a new R2 and spinnaker. All is full steam ahead, and we are ready to defend the title!'
Crowd favourite, Billy Sykes will once again be on with the Ichi Ban team for Cabbage Tree, his third with the team for the series. Ichi Ban finished third in the Bass Island Newcastle race. Billy summed up the last edition as 'basically a crack sheets to Newcastle' race. 'We did Newcastle to Bass Island on the masthead zero for three hours then peeled to the A2 running in 15-20 knots'.

For this race, Ichi Ban has had a few modications both under and on top of the water.

'The boat has had a keel modification and a new rudder attached for this race' commented Billy. 'We have modified the A5 to a top down furling sail, and also added square top jibs to our wardrobe!'

'The Ichi Ban team is progressing really well and we will have most of our Hobart crew on for this race which should be a great test'.
The leader of the Blue Water Pointscore Series at this stage is the TP52 Shogun V, not surprising with two from two wins. Noel Drennan of North Sails in Melbourne has been on board for the last two races.

'We have done a lot of work with this boat to get her back on the water this season. We have a new main, and a new heavy jib. We learned a lot in race one, and took through the same crew to race two, to win by 37 minutes on IRC. We made ground especially on the long beat from Wollongong'.

Nitro is not on board Shogun V for this race, but they have been training yesterday afternoon and this morning. They are definitely hunting a win in this series.

To throw a spanner in the works, with the current forecast of light east to nor’east breezes this evening, with a building sea breeze on tomorrow for the run home, it could well be a small boat race, if the main fleet can get around Cabbage Tree Island before the sea breeze builds.
It is definitely all on leading into the Hobart race, with 119 entries, including the newest maxi complete with North Sails, Comanche. We can’t wait for all the action!

Our North Sails guys like to get out on the water, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition to push the whole fleet and ensure that expertise filters all the way through our sport. North Sails is not just for the elite, but by working with the elite to test and re-test and use their sails 'in the field' so to speak, these guys know how to make a difference to your sailing, no matter what level you are at!

We will keep you posted on the race!