Fast reach accelerates Flirt into second

by Lisa Ratcliff on 1 Aug 2006 A significant wind shift off Tweed Heads late yesterday dashed XLR8’s hopes of finishing second over the line in the Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race with Chris Dare’s Flirt finally breaking away to take the honours at 4.15am this morning.

A delighted Dare this morning admitted it was amusing that they came all the way from Melbourne to match race a boat they sail against all the time back at home.

'There was nothing in the boats for two days so it was good to be on the right side of the ledger at the end of the day. There was plenty of luck involved, we were lucky to get a few shifts that paid and get back in the game after XLR8 got away on the first afternoon,' Dare said.

On board the Victorian Corby 49 Flirt was Sydney yachtsman Roger Hickman who has contested this race more than 20 times and as tactician, 'had the run of the house' according to Dare, who has this morning completed his maiden Sydney Mooloolaba.

'We knew we had a good boat and crew, we just needed that experience to minimise the risks in decision making. ‘Hicko’ also brought some of his crew to complement our best crew.'

The mood is somewhat different on board XLR8 which is sitting off Mooloolaba Harbour waiting for the high tide later this morning to access the seaway.

'There wasn’t a lot we could do once the nor’west shift came. It favoured them considerably and from Southport it was just one long and fast reach to the finish which didn’t give us any opportunity to pass them,' said Steve Troon from XLR8 this morning.

A fresh 15 knot nor’wester overnight has delivered four boats across the finish line in this year’s Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race with another three due in the next short while including David Pescud’s Sailors with disABILITIES which has sailed superbly and looks set to narrowly pip Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin over the line.

SWD won’t be celebrating for a few days yet however. Like the last boat to finish, Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, they are contesting the Sydney Mackay Yacht Race and have another 400 plus nautical miles to sail.

Last night’s fast reach to the finish has also pushed the 50 footers back up into the top IRC results with Ray Roberts’ DK 46 Quantum Racing, due to finish shortly, the leading IRC boat at 0600 hours this morning.

The entire fleet, barring John Cameron’s Fincorp More Witchcraft which retired overnight, is this morning hugging the coast and in good pressure with the bulk of the fleet off the Queensland Gold Coast and due in tonight. The last two boats, Plus 16 and Phillip’s Foote Witchdoctor, are keeping each other in close company and are due across the finish line tomorrow afternoon, 2 August.

The first of three Queensland boats, Bill Wild’s Wedgetail, is expected in later this afternoon.

Today’s forecast is for south west winds at 10/15 knots, shifting S/SE later today.

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