Snow's last Gold Coast Race on Brindabella

by Lisa Ratcliff on 1 Aug 2001 This could be George Snow's last Sydney to Gold Coast Race on the eight-year old Jutson-designed Brindabella, with plans to build a 90-foot maxi, with potential for water ballast, to be launched mid next year.

Snow recorded an official finish time for the Sydney to Gold Coast Race of 1804 hours yesterday evening. Upon arrival at Southport Yacht Club, Snow and his crew, including three of his four children, congratulated the skipper of the line honours winner Grundig Xena, Sean Langman.

'Grundig Xena is a well-sailed boat that is purpose built for the conditions we had in this race,' Snow said. 'I'm just happy my record for this race still stands - there aren't many left,' he added.

With Snow, Langman and successful Sydney-based car importer Neville Crichton all planning to build new boats next year, the competition at the big end of town will hit new heights in offshore events including the Sydney to Gold Coast and the Sydney to Hobart Race.

Overnight in the 386 nautical miles passage to Queensland, three more yachts crossed the finish line and three retired due to time constraints.

Third over the line at midnight was Peter Hansen's New Zealand-built Elliott 45 Coyote. For the Victorian businessman, this year's 16th annual Sydney to Gold Coast Race signalled his return to ocean racing after a long period of ill heath.

Hansen plans to continue campaigning Coyote, possibly in this year's Sydney to Hobart Race or alternatively, he will have at crack at his own Melbourne - Hobart Race record set with his previous boat Future Shock.

Martin James' Infinity III finished at 0254hours this morning and Warren Johns' Heaven Can Wait finished at 0340hours.

The next group of yachts expected to cross the finish line around lunchtime include Terry Mullens' Sting (ETA 1122 hours), immediately followed by the New Zealand entry Antaeus (Charles St. Clair Brown) and Rob Drury's Sayernara.

Provisional handicap placings are mostly unchanged with Brindabella leading the IMS Division ahead of Sting and the Beneteau 40.7 Shipping Central (Reed/Spies), which has moved into third position following Eureka's retirement.

In IRC Division A, Grundig Xena has held on to first place ahead of Heaven Can Wait and Infinity III, while in IRC Division B, Tony Lawton's Sextant is holding out Antipodes (Greg Newton) and Bruce Staples' Dark & Stormy.

Coyote is the provisional leader of PHS Division 1 ahead of Gary Anderson's Bullistic and John Woodruff's The Dreamtime and in PHS Division 2, Farr Horizons (Ivan Resnekov) has maintained first place over Randal Wilson's Bright Morning Star and Phil Hearse's Anteater.

Following this morning's 0635 hours position report, Wahoo (Brian Emerson), the last placed boat in the fleet with 176 nautical miles to go, reported some electrical problems that knocked out their GPS and lights for sometime last night.

'We managed to sort out our wiring problems and after wallowing around for a while this morning, the nor'easter filled in at 10 knots and we are happily moving again,' said Emerson. His crew, and many others still racing off the NSW mid-coast, are eagerly awaiting the southerly change that is due late tonight

Retirements late yesterday included Shane Kearns' Komatsu Blue Lady (retired 1830 hours) and two retirements at last night's 2235 hours safety sked - Hugh Treharne's Eureka and David Pescud's Aspect Computing. All three retirements were due to time constraints. This brings the total number to nine from a starting line-up of 53.

Thirty-nine yachts are still racing with the last boat expected to finish tomorrow evening.

For media enquiries, please contact Lisa Ratcliff on 0418 428 511.