Gusto challenges Sayer designs

by Di Pearson on 27 Mar 2007 The two Queensland Sayer designs, RYU-JIN – fgi and Wasabi continue their battle in the Melbourne Osaka double handed yacht race this afternoon, but the Open 60 Gusto has come to challenge and is sailing faster.

RYU-JIN (Murray Bucknall/Jon Sayer) is around three nautical miles ahead of Ken Down/Shane Gaddes on Wasabi, doing speeds of just under six knots, with Gusto (Patrick Giudice/Brian Pattinson) just an eighth of a mile behind and travelling at seven knots on the seaward side of the Sayer boats.

Since 8.00am this morning, RYU-JIN has covered 50 miles, Wasabi 43, Cadi 45 and Gusto made the biggest gain with 59 nautical miles. The competition between the two new Sayer 12s is rife and the better boat at the end will ultimately come down to tactics and seamanship.

The three lead boats are sailing almost the same course and would be in sight of each other, with a third Queensland yacht, Cadi the next best placed boat, around 15 miles behind the leaders, having covered 45 miles since the morning sked when her crew, John and David Netherton), were third placed on the Argos tracker. With a current average speed of 5.2 knots, Cadi has dropped off the leaders a little, but is still in contact, but sailing closer to the coast.

Bucknall/Sayer’s tactics of almost straight lining it appears to have paid dividends compared with Wasabi and Gusto’s earlier decision to take a leg out further to sea, then tack back.

Dekadence and Alex are the next best placed and sailing in close company, 37 and 38 miles from the leaders and fairly much on the same track as Cadi. Behind them comes Southern Light, Hullabaloo and Runaway, the three in close proximity and sailing closing to the coast.

Behind them, positions remain the same as this morning, with Pippin, Wild Boar and Esoterica bunched up just south of Ninety Mile Beach. Asadori has made no gains going so far out to sea, and in fact has tacked back in towards the abovementioned three. The four yachts are making slow progress, doing speeds of between 1.9 and 3.5 knots

Commenting from Runaway, their Sayer 11 metre (which won Division C in 2003 for Jon Sayer), James Ryssenbeek and Andrew McCole reported on their run so far: 'After what could only be described as an emotional start to the race, with lots of family, friends and sailing colleagues wishing us well, we have had the forecast winds and are currently making our way across 'the paddock' (Bass Strait) having rounded Wilsons Prom early last evening.

'The first couple of days have been frustrating. Changing from normal routines into three hours on, three hours off is difficult to adapt to; especially when trying to steer through confined passages at 3.00am in pitch blackness!

'Forecasted headwinds came to be, and we have been getting pounded since we left. Wind strength hasn't been a problem, but a confused 2 metre swell/sea have left us with bumps and bruises (sea legs are all good now), and a very wet boat.

'We are having some minor issues with our computer gear (doesn't like being thrown around) and our HF radio is operating intermittently. To top it all off, our water ballast tanks have started leaking... another job for the morning.

'On a brighter note, we had a small victory in identifying the cause of a 'flutter' in our main sail (an annoying noise and damaging to the sail), but after a little ingenuity, and James standing on the boom as we crashed through two metre waves in 25 knots of wind as the sun went down, we're all sorted!

'We hope to be around Gabo Island and on our way north late today or early Wednesday and will update you then!

McCole signed off by apologizing to his newly pregnant partner: 'Sue, I'm really sorry about taking the only set of car keys!!'

On the way to Japan’s Osaka, the yachts will pass Papua New Guinea, the Indonesian Islands, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong before reaching their destination.

The Weather:
In the area of Wilsons Promontory to 60nm east of Gabo Island, weather reports show east/north-east winds of 10-20 knots with seas of 1 to 2 metres and a southeast swell of 1 to 2 metres current until midnight.

About The Race

Staged every four years, the Organising Authority for the Melbourne-Osaka Yacht Race is made up of City of Melbourne, City of Osaka Promotional Council, Osaka Hokko Yacht Club, Japan Sailing Federation - Offshore Naikai, Sandringham Yacht Club and in association with Yachting Australia.

The event was first held in 1987 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Osaka and celebrates the sister city relationship between Melbourne and Osaka.

Positions from the Argos tracker at UTC 0.600.00 (4.00pm AEST):
RYU-JIN (Murray Bucknall/Jon Sayer, Wasabi (Ken Down/Shane Gaddes) Gusto (Patrick Giudice/Brian Pattinson), Cadi (John and son David Netherton), Dekadence (Phil Coombs/Peter Walsh), Alex (Jock and son Hamish MacAdie), Southern Light, Hullabaloo (Jim and son Joe O’Keeffe), Runaway (James Ryssenbeek/Andrew McCole), Tamagomalu (Makoto Hisamatsu/Jimmi Doherty), COCORIN interland (Itaru Matsunaga/John Bankart), Ingenue (David James and wife Rosie Colahan), Wild Boar (Shozi Yuneda/Jun Kanda), Pippin (Roger Sayers/Anthony Brown), Esoterica (Campbell Reynolds/David Best) and Asadori (Shinsuke Nishi/Kyojun Fujita), the last four sailing off Wilsons Promontory.