Love & War leads Rolex Sydney Hobart on handicap

by Rob Kothe on 27 Dec 2006 Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI, the 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart line honours and handicap winner had passed the Green Cape Safety gate, she is now 10 miles east of Gabo Island, the entrance to Bass Strait.

Conditions are easing providing better Bass Strait crossing conditions for the 98 footer. The wind is now blowing from the west south west at 15-20 knots with winds easing further into Bass Strait

Five miles back is Grant Wharington’s Skandia, the 2003 winner. In third place 14 miles back is Matt Allen’s, Jones 70, the much modified Volvo 70, which battled at the back of the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race fleet.

Fourth on the water is Geoff Boettcher’s Reichel Pugh 46 Hardys Secret Mens Business. She is much further east than her rivals and is well placed for a slingshot into Tasman Light if the wind shifts to her advantage tonight.

Ray White Koomooloo was leading the race on handicap at 9am, until she began taking water and turned back north west to the coast.

Now Lindsay May, George Snow and Simon Kurts aboard the 1972 and 1978 Hobart race winner Love and War find themselves leading the race for the Tattersalls Cup, as well as their own division E ahead of Lou Abrahams Sydney 38 Challenge, the division D class leader and Matt Percy’s Beneteau First 44.7 Alacrity.

Hardy Secret Mens Business is leading Division C.

In the PHS Division Damian Suckling’s Another Fiasco, the former Maghleri Wines leads from Maurie Cameron’s Phillip Foote Witchdoctor.