AAPT leads, Love and War leads on handicap

by Peter Campbell on 31 Oct 2004 Sean Langman’s Open 66, AAPT, has opened up a commanding lead of almost 70 nautical miles over the rest of the fleet in the 31st Gosford to Lord Howe Island ocean race, despite light winds overnight.



As the north-easterly winds freshen this morning, she is increasing her lead but is still not likely to finish the 414 nautical mile race until late tomorrow.


Since the race started from Broken Bay at 1pm yesterday to 7am today, AAPT had sailed 124 nautical miles and was due east of Newcastle after taking a long port tack out to sea after rounding the inshore mark off Terrigal just under an hour after the start.



In second place in the fleet is Warwick Sherman’s Cookson 39, Occasional Coarse Language, sailing a similar course to AAPT. She was less than half a mile ahead of Team Lexus, the Sydney 38 skippered by Rupert Henry.



Positions reported to the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, Newcastle at this morning’s “sked” show Peter Kurts’ Love and War and Bright Morning Star, skippered by Hugh O’Neill, sailing almost boat for boat and equal sixth place in the fleet.



The long tack to windward in moderate conditions since the start has suited these boats and Love and War heads the progressive IMS handicap division and Bright Morning Star the PHS handicap division on corrected times.



In the IMS division, Love and War leads from Polaris of Belmont (Chris Dawe) and Team Lexus while in the PHS division Bright Morning Star leads from Debonair (Eric Frank) and Seaquest the Weapon (Phil Darling).



Winds in the northern Tasman Sea are expected to swing to the north-north-east during today, freshening to 15-25 knots, which will speed up the fleet. However, with 287 nautical miles to sail at 7am today, AAPT is not like to reach Lord Howe Island until late Monday, well outside the race record.