Light conditions slow Forrester Properties Sydney to Mooloolaba fleet

by Rob Kothe on 8 Apr 2001 Race leader Wild Thing is now 13 miles north of Sugar Loaf Point, having ghosted 2 miles ahead of Brindabella during the night watches.

Sean Langman's red hulled Xena is now 6 miles back.

These are the only boats which have yet rounded Sugar Loaf Point.

The next group of boats are all watching each other, as they approach the point.
The Farr 50 Ragamuffin is still 4 miles short but sailing well above her rating, while the big maxi Marchioness is three miles further back.

She is outside of Ausmaid a mile to the west, and Wild Thing II another mile back, only just ahead of Eureka and Infinity III.

There have been two retirements overnight. The smallest boat in the IRC fleet Colin Boyle's Kingtide reported by radio at 22:10 last night, that she broken her forestay and was returning to Sydney.

Early this morning Lady Penrhyn announced her retirement, with broken gear. She expects to be back in Sydney Harbour by noon today.

Handicap positions have jumped all over the place as the fleet gambles in the soft conditions. The breeze has dropped since dawn and is now only around 4-6 knots from the north east.

In the IMS Division Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin leads from Hamilton Island winner, the Beneteau 40.7 Fireball, who is now 5 miles north of Port Stephens.

Telstra Cup and Pittwater to Coffs winner Howard de Torres blue hulled Nips n Tux is a mile north and has climbed into third place.

Ausmaid is fourth with Koolewong trailing her sister ship Fireball by two miles is fifth.

In IRC, the Swan 48 Loki, now 8 miles north of Port Stephens was leading from Warwick Sherman's Cookson 12 Occasional Coarse Language, three miles astern.

Crossing, the Danish x442, only a mile back is third place. No Fearr a mile further to sea is in fourth place.

Under PHS Marchioness is line honours leader, but is suffering badly on handicap, as her waterline is not helping in the soft and fluky breezes.

Division leader is Mooloolaba Commodore Nick Cox's Bimble Gumbie, with the old Farr 43 Drakes Prayer abeam of Port Stephens in second place with Maurie Cameron's Hogs Breath Witchdoctor in third place.

The fleet is waiting for the cloud cover to burn off, expecting freshening nor' easters up to 15 to 20 knots in the mid-afternoon. The forecast weak southerly change is probably 36 hours away.