Wild Joe steps out on Hogs Breath fleet

by Rob Kothe on 17 Aug 2005 A sense of anticipation this morning as the Grand Prix fleet circulated behind the startline of the 40-mile White Rock-Armit race with winds forecast in the 30’s, the crews were in full wet weather gear.

For the Sandringham crew onboard the Beneteau 44.7,second placed in the regatta on IRC handicap, it was money time, could they strike a blow against series leader Steven David’s Wild Joe, the former Admiral’s Cup winner Wild Oats.

Blazing sunshine and 15 knots at the gun and tactician Cameron Miles, former Etchells World Champion had positioned the Reichel Pugh 60 near the pin, just inside another canting keeler Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 Living Doll.

Wild Joe had pace and was soon advanced on the fleet, next to her was Richard Cawse’s Vanguard, to leeward of her, Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki was first to tack away.

At the turning mark Wild Joe had stepped away seven lengths from Vanguard with Loki tucked in another two lengths back from port, followed by Living Doll, then Phil Coombes DK46 Dekadence, then came Prowler, Shogun, Hardy’s Secret Mens Business and Cougar sailing above her handicap even at that stage of the race.

The fleet swept across Pioneer Bay then short tacked down the mainland short trying to avoid the strengthening ebbing tide in the Molle Channel.

Wild Joe was four hundred metres ahead of Vanguard, but as the tide began to run harder the gap seemed to be closing. Along the Schute Island. shore line the north flowing current was visibly slowing the boats and the gap closed to two hundred metres. Behind them Loki was another 100 metres back, Living Doll was another three hundred metres further behind.

The leaders struggled another three quarters of a mile to White Rock, and then the creak of easing sheets could be heard across Molle Channel as Wild Joe blast reached towards South Molle. By the time she reached the corner she was 700 metres ahead of Vanguard again.

Behind her the fleet kept pushing more and tide as the tacked south to White Rock, Hardy’s Secret Mens Business seemed to be catching Living Doll, who struggled in a few soft patches close on the beaches. Behind them there was a big gap back to Dekadence and Shogun, the two DK46’s. Not far behind then was the Cougar still appearing to be well place on handicap.

By the top of North Molle, the wind has still not increased but Wild Joe was streeting the fleet. Behind her Vanguard was still just in front of Loki and the Reichel Pugh 46 Hardy’s had sailed through Living Doll.

Now in the shimmering distance Wild Oats is sailing south, having rounded Double Come and Armit Island’s she is now off Grimston Point. Daylight is second.

Back dockside Jeff Paul and his Gladstone team have finished repairing some bow damage on their Mumm 30 Immigrant after she did not quite succeed in ducking Marloo at the first mark, when on port. She had retired from the race.