Boss Hog blasts around Hog’s Breath Racecourse

by Rob Kothe on 19 Aug 2004 Hog’s Breath Race Week founder Don Algie helmed his beautiful performance cruiser Storm 2 to an impressive line honours victory in the Premier Cruising division today.


In doing so, the Warwick 66, carved up the course, finishing less than 12 minutes behind Ichi Ban.


Wearing his trademark tropical shirt and with some sponsor’s product in hand, Don was a happy man dockside at Abel Point Marina this afternoon.


‘Great, great racing. We had lots of fun out there. We certainly were set up for speed today. We had four wheels…two to steer and two to crew. V8 Supercar young gun Paul Weel was on foredeck today and his father Kees Weel was part of the afterguard.


As soon as we reached the Molle Channel, we really powered up. Seriously Ten did not catch us until Denman Island and we were very pleased to be able to stay with the Volvo 60 and After Shock all the way up South Molle.


We need some breeze to get moving and we certainly had that today 20-25’s for much of the time outside the Islands. We are probably ten tonnes heavier than those two race boats.’


It was just a very enjoyable way to finish the regatta.


All year we work and plan toward this one week and all year we enjoy great sailing here on Pioneer Bay.


It’s been very enjoyable sailing at this regatta; we had great wind especially today.


I am just pleased that a thousand sailors and a hundred boats have been able to share this great sailing venue with us, this week.


The skippers are telling me, this year’s regatta has been a giant leap forward.


We are planning to lift the bar, more again next year.


Algie finished his regatta in fifth place overall with 21 points – a far cry from the winner, John Bacon’s Hussy, which finished with five points. This only goes to show you don’t have to win to enjoy yourself and that big is not always best!


Weather provider, Ken Batt, was so distraught with his predictions so far, that on this, the last day of the regatta, he put on the Hog’s Breath bright pink pig suit and told the media, ‘this is the best thing I’ve done for the whole regatta.’