Top fleet for Docklands Invitational

by Rob Kothe on 17 Jan 2007 Melbourne provides the southern hemisphere yachting focus this weekend with the prestigious Docklands Invitational Series based in the stylish Waterfront City at Docklands in Melbourne on Saturday January 20 and Sunday 21st.

The Docklands precinct played host to the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race fleet with large crowds coming to look at these ocean beasts. Plenty of people are expected this weekend to take advtange of a unique chance to get up close and personal with two of Australia's top super maxis, Bob Oatley’s 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner Wild Oats XI and the 2003 winner Grant Wharington’s Skandia. These two yachts will be berthed on the Dockland’s marina, along with the balance of the 20 boat Docklands Invitational IRC fleet.

Heading the line-up for the Invitational is Skandia Geelong Week regular, Grant Wharington. with his 98 foot super-maxi Skandia Wild Thing. Amongst his many line honours victories, which include just about every major ocean race in Australia, the Victorian yachtsman and his super-maxi won line honours in the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart and finished third this year, losing the canard after a pre-Hobart mishap in Melbourne.

Wharington enjoyed the Docklands precinct during the Melbourne Stopover (whilst competing in the Volvo Ocean Race). He commented,‘Docklands is a great place. Each morning and afternoon we expect to see interested crowds looking at the boats. We are looking forward to being part of the inaugural series - and hopefully to be leading the fleet there and flying the flag for our sponsor.

'We will have to tilt the boat over to duck under the Bolte Bridge twice a day, so that is an extra bit of fun.'

While Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI will be dockside as she won’t be racing in this series, her clash with Skandia at Skandia Geelong Week is much anticipated.

CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Ray Roberts, a Skandia Geelong Week two-time winner, has switched from his very successful DK46 Quantum Racing to the canting keel Cookson 50, Quantum Racing.

2006 was a big year for the Sydney sailor with wins at Sailing South Week, the Royal Langkawi Regatta, Sydney Mooloolaba, Airlie Beach Regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week and the Kings Cup in Phuket.

In the round the cans, windward leeward racing in the flat waters just off the city, Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll which is another Cookson 50 and one of the top performing Melbourne boats, will be sailing with her canting keel fixed and might have the edge over her rival, with the better handicap rating. Robert’s will sail Quantum Racing in the same fixed keel configuration as he did at the Savills regatta in November 2006.

Roberts commented today; 'The Cookson 50 design gives us plenty of flexibility, we sailed to Hobart with our keel canting and it’s great when we have cracked sheets, but on the wind-ward leeward course the fixed keel provides an advantage.

'The Docklands’ concept is great, with the Victorian fleets getting better and better, challenging the Sydney fleets these days. The interstate battles will be certainly strong. Chris Dare’s Corby 49 Flirt beat us at Sailing South, but we are looking to get back in front in this regatta.’

Dare is looking forward to the competition and this morning commented; 'We are looking forward to the weekend. It will be interesting to race the Sydney boats on Port Phillip.’

The rivalry between the two Reichel/Pugh 46’s, Geoff Boettcher’s Hardy’s Secret Mens Business and Geelong sailor Graeme Troon’s XLR8, will continue. After making some appendage changes Boettcher beat Troon at Hamilton Island Race Week 2006, their last match up.

Boettcher, 'We are flying the flag for South Australian and we expect to be super sharp by the time we start in the Audi Series next week.’

The field from A to X is quality. Trevor Taylor’s Farr 47 is a dual Hobart winner, Lou Abraham’s Sydney 38 Challenge crew have won two Sydney 38 Nationals and were third overall on IRC handicap in the 2006 Sydney to Hobart race. Bruce Taylor has more than 25 Hobart's under his belt and his Sydney 38 Chutzpah knows its way around Port Phillip.

The two Beneteau First 44.7’s, Alan Whiteley’s Cougar and Ray Shaw’s Outrageous, have good handicap ratings. Cougar won the 2006 Range Series and both boats will enjoy the flat water expected in the Docklands Invitational.

Ray Borrett’s new Farr 42 Laurelle is expected to acquit herself well; she is the first dedicated IRC design from the highly regarded Garr office. Paul Buchholz’s Exstasea, is the Sydney 40 AC Sledgehammer, and now IRC optimised with a swept back spreader rig, non-overlapping headsails and some accommodation changes, she will enjoy her new IRC handicap. Peter Blake and Kate Mitchell’s Farr 52 Goldfinger has an enviable winning record under IRC in a former life, as Ichi Ban.

Matt Hannaford’s Farr 39 No Fearr is returning to her winning form of the mid 1990’s, taking line honours in the 2006 Heemskirk Melbourne to Hobart race.

Alan Woodward’s Beneteau 40.7 Reverie could deliver the goods if the fleet comes home with a building breeze. Rob Hanna’s DK46 Shogun has some excellent results over the last two seasons. Grant Wharington’s Skandia has the speed to get away from the fleet and sail her own race.

With Denis Thompson as Principal Race Officer, the sailors know that the Dockland Invitational Series windward leeward course will be very fair with Thompson quick to make course changes, to keep the runs very square.

Doug Jarvis, the Docklands Invitational and Skandia Geelong Week Regatta director. ‘It is certainly going to be a very competitive two days of racing at Docklands.

'Geelong is a wonderful atmosphere; it is almost Hamilton Island’s Whitehaven Beach Party every day for four days. It is a great social party like environment, a great sailing event, with large crowds enjoying the shore-side activities.

'Now we want to engage with Melbourne. We are looking forward to taking the boats into Docklands, to break down all of the barriers in a very public space. We expect the boats will have people hanging on their life lines, just as they did with the Volvo Ocean race fleet.

'We are looking forward to it, and I am sure that the competitors will enjoy it.’

Sail-World will be covering the Dockland’s series in detail, with reports from the course and interviews between and after racing.