Wild Oats leads Southport fleet

by Rob Kothe on 30 Jul 2005 Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats led the 73 boat 2005 Sydney to Gold Coast fleet down Sydney Harbour this afternoon. While the startline wind pressure was only 2-3 knots, Mark Richards on helm with North Sails Michael Coxon calling tactics, hit the line with some semblance of speed and jumped away from the fleet.

The 20 metre canting keel boat, commisioned by former winemaker and now Hamilton Island Resort owner Bob Oatley to defend the Admiral's Cup, had a two-minute lead before the Watson’s Bay Wedding Cakes, with a big white kite, shy set.

It was a lottery behind her. Down at pin end the veteran Ray White Koomooloo had looked good for a few moments. Graham Troon’s XLR had accelerated then stalled.

Amongst the bigger boats, Sean Langman’s AAPT had started in the second row with Wild Joe, found some speed then stopped. Over on the eastern shore Geoff Ross’ Yendys found pressure.

Wild Oats dropped her kite off Camp Cove, as the pressure dropped fell away, she was almost going backwards on the incoming tide, inside South Head.

Soon Yendys was less than 10 boat lengths back from her, with Wild Joe finding some speed at last, another 10 boat. Next was AAPT.

Then a parking lot, as Wild Oats sat absolutely stalled, with Yendys AAPT, Funnel Web, Kaz.

Over between the heads, an interested observer, the brand new super maxi, Neville Crichton’s 98 footer Alfa Romeo was practicing, show the smaller boats, just what she would have done to avoid the hole.

Gradually the breeze liftd and the fleet crept away. Fifty minute after the start Wild Oats cleared North Head, twelve minutes behind her was AAPT. In these soft conditions its going to be a long race 384 miles north into Queensland in this last CYCA winter race to Southport. (The next Southport races will run in Autumn.)

Yendys and Wild Joe, tried to dig north inside the heads and were stranded as the following fleet rounded South Head. In third place was Richard Hudson's Corel 45 Pretty Woman with Merlin fourth ahead of Geoff Boetcher's Hardy's Secret Mens' Business with ex-Commodore Martin James's Maserati not far back.

Wild Oats is now powering up the rhumbline towards Barrenjoey. while AAPT is closer inshore off Manly. Behind then is Steven David's Wild Joe, Hardy's Secret Mens Business, Maserati and Geelong sailor Robert Hanna's new DK46 Shogun and Michael Hiatt's brand new canting keel Cookson 50 Living Doll