Skandia has 40 mile lead on Gold Coast fleet

by Rob Kothe on 2 Apr 2006 At 5am AEST this morning Grant Wharington’s 98 footer Skandia was ten miles off Coffs Harbour en route to Southport in the 2006 Sydney to Goldcoast race. She is already outside Brindabella’s 1999 Sydney to Gold Coast record, although stronger winds are expected further north and it will be tough for the blue hulled behemoth to get back in front of the clock.

Navigator Will Oxley reported this morning; ‘Still with a good breeze 15-20 knots from the SW. A good night so far but the record is proving rather hard to beat. We will need to be very quick over the rest of the race course and the model runs suggest very soft air tomorrow. Time will tell.

‘Touch wood no more dramas for a while and we have been able to concentrate on sailing! The team is working well together. We are trialling our Brunel Volvo watch system and it seems to be working ok. I am enjoying getting to know the Brunel team without the pressure of six other Volvo yachts around!'

Skandia unofficially broke Wild Oats IX’s (Wild Joe’s) 2003 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race record this morning.

At 6am Skandia was 118 miles from the finish line, eight miles north east of North Solitary Island, 40 miles ahead of the next boat in the fleet, John Woodruff and Eric Robinson’s Volvo 60 Seriously Ten, which was 13 miles north east of Smokey Cape.

Steven David’s Wild Joe was just four miles behind her and closing.

Overnight Wild Joe sailed through Leslie Green’s Ginger, now five miles north of Smokey Cap.

Stephen Ainsworth's Loki has recovered from her slowish first 12 hours and is now just a mile astern, but well seawards.

Full information after the radio shed which is currently under way.