Another Maxi for the Whitsundays

by Ian Grant on 3 Apr 2001 British Defender the former Whitbread global race challenger has been nominated to contest the 2001 Hog's Breath Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach race in early August.

The magnificent maxi sloop is presently undergoing a refit and will join the Jim Theroux charter fleet after contesting the major events including Hog's Breath Race Week, Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island and the Whitsunday Sailing Clubs Hot FM Great Whitsunday Fun Race.

This racing schedule represents an impressive bid by the yachts owner to establish British Defender as one of the fastest big boats in the Whitsundays.

Her proven speed in long distance ocean racing makes her the favourite to take the line honours title in the Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach race.

In fact if there is any consistent velocity in the wind then British Defender will firm as a record challenger.

News of her entry in the major Queensland yacht races was released last Monday and as expected has created a lot of interest.

The maxi's waterline length and enormous sail power will be a crucial factor which according to some of the waterfront experts make her potentially faster than The Card winner of last years Great Whitsunday Fun Race.

Sure owner Jim Theroux possibly the only person on the planet to have two former Whitbread Maxi's in his personal fleet will be looking for major race results and British Defender has the potential to deliver.

She will be the short priced favourite to win the Hot FM Fun Race maxi challenge against The Card, Ragamuffin, Matador, Condor, and Apollo.

But owner Theroux and the crew are more interested in winning the line honours and the Boss Hog cut crystal trophy in Queensland's longest ocean classic over the Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach course.

While the big yacht justifies her ranking, there are two determined sailors who believe they can beat the larger British Defender.

One of them is the America's Cup winning tactician Hugh Treharne and the other is his long term sailing mate Bob 'Sir Robbo' Robertson.

Both Treharne and Robertson race the impressive Sydney 60 Eureka which besides winning line honours in the Gosford to Lord Howe Island race finished with a good result in the Telstra Sydney-Hobart and won the Port Kembla -Sydney race on overall handicap.

As expected Bob Robertson who has never taken a backward step defended his sloops chances in the usual manner.

'Sure Eureka will give away 24ft in waterline length to British Defender, however we are confident of matching her with crew skills and experience.'

'It takes a lot of brawn and brain to handle maxi in ocean racing mode and it becomes more difficult by the hour in a race of 520 nautical miles'.

'All on Eureka have done the hard yards and this is where we expect to have an edge it what is shaping into a very interesting yacht race'. Robertson said.