Three Peak fleet bound for Freycinet

by Terry Travers on 26 Mar 2005 Courtesy of a high pressure system moving across Tasmania it is a glorious sunny day at Flinders Island and the locals are out in force to support competitors in the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race.

Ten yachts have now left Lady Barron port bound for the second stopover at Coles Bay and the ascent of Mt Freycinet. But with almost glassy seas, the yachts are making slow progress.

The leading yacht, Devonport 9.1m Chamberlin catamaran Elite Renovations (Phillip Marshall) arrived into Lady Barron at 12.20am with runners Mark Guy and Paul McKenzie putting in the fastest time on Mt Strzelecki, conquering the 65km run in 6 hours 38 minutes.

Only 36 seconds slower on the mountain was the running duo of Tim Piper and Patrick Mickhan aboard Jailhouse Grill (Adams 13 skippered by Jason Van Zetten), running the team into second place. They left Lady Barron one hour forty minutes behind the leader.

Third and fourth placed City of West Tamar (Ross Clark) and Plan Four (Simpson 12 catamaran, Peter Newman) departed mid-morning only three minutes apart.

In the cruising division three teams are having a close tussle. Victorian entrants Brunetti (Bob Tanner, Cavalier 38) and Liberte (Anthony Cook,Oceanis 361) are enjoying their duel with Hobart sailor Graham Stevenson's Pearson 11m Intrepid.

Race Patron and Governor of Tasmania, His Excellency Mr William Cox has ventured out on the track, meeting and chatting with the runners.

Major sponsor Hydro Tasmania is putting its hierarchy where its money is.

Sponsorship Co-ordinator Jane Croswell has signed up to partner Dale Lancaster as the only all-female running team in the event this year, sailing aboard Hobart yacht Pippin (Farr 37, David Taylor)

And CEO Geoff Willis has travelled to Flinders Island in support. He was on hand in the frenetic media room at Lady Barron Race Control when the first team arrived after midnight.

At the 10am radio sked race leader Elite Renovations reported their position off the northeastern corner of Cape Barren Island.

At the other end of the fleet, Genrx (Greg Hall, Van de Stadt 34) arrived at 5.35am, with father and son runners Les and Ben Savage reaching the summit of Mt Strzelecki at 11.38am.

With fading headwinds forecast for the next few hours, sailors will be hoping for the arrival of the next cold front and associated westerly winds to speed their progress down Tasmania's East Coast.

First yachts are expected to arrive in Coles Bay early morning on Sunday.