Pippin retires from Melbourne Osaka race

by Di Pearson on 5 Apr 2007 Pippin is the latest casualty of the Melbourne Osaka double handed yacht race, owner/skipper Roger Sayers reporting to Race Director Kevin Wilson of his and Anthony Bown’s official retirement in Mooloolaba, Queensland.

'We had a new generator for this race. It should have lasted 10 years, but it didn’t even last 10 days,' Sayers said this morning.

'We took a spare alternator with us, but have had ongoing problems with both and though it prudent for safety reasons to retire from the race. Obviously we are disappointed, but that’s how the world turns sometimes,' he reasoned.

Although his race is over, Sayers, from Noosa Heads in Queensland, is considering flying to Japan to meet his fellow competitors at the finish line. An experienced offshore sailor he, like the rest of us, was convinced his sturdy Farr 37 would make it to the Osaka finish.

In other news, both Alex and Esoterica have rejoined the race after making repairs; Jock and son Hamish MacAdie to Alex’s broken boom, and Campbell Reynolds/David Best to Esoterica’s damaged mainsail.

Despite the two crews being off the course for a couple of days, Alex is currently eighth and Esoterica 12th placed in the now 12-boat fleet; the latter boat 340nm ahead of last-placed South Australian entry Southern Light.

In other news, Brian Pattinson from the second placed Open 60, Gusto, reported to Kevin Wilson this morning: 'We broke our gooseneck this morning.

'Initially decided to go back to Mackay. We will now go on to Honiara and try to get it fixed there. Up until now we have been just cruising and taking it really easy. That’s sailing!'

The breakage explains the miles dropped on race leader COCORIN interland.

News too from Jon Sayer, designer/builder/co-skipper of RYU-JIN – fgi. Sayer says he and the yacht’s owner/skipper Murray Bucknall hope to rejoin the race some time tomorrow as they continue to work hard to repair their damaged rudder, believing they hit something during race.

The 2007 Melbourne-Osaka has certainly kept all on their toes with an unusual amount of damage to the fleet so far and the race is still anyone’s, the leading boat COCORIN interland Itaru Matsunaga/John Bankart still has 3182nn to the finish!

Holding a 58nm lead over the Victorian entry Gusto, the Japanese boat is in the Coral Sea off Cape Melville on the Cape York Peninsula, Australia nearly behind them.

The three-way tug-of-war between Tamagomalu (Makoto Hisamatsu/Jimmi Doherty), Dekadence (Phil Coombs/Peter Walsh) and Hullabaloo (Jim and Joe O’Keeffe) is ongoing, the trio in the vicinity of Cairns in Northern Queensland.

Around 77nm behind that group, the battle between Asadori and Ingenue also continues. Only 58nm between them, Asadori is off Townsville.

Rosie Colahan reported from Ingenue: 'Life in the trades is very pleasant. We are continuing to enjoy warm days and pleasant balmy evenings with generally steady ESE breezes around 15 knots with SE swells to 2.5m by day.

'Our next significant waypoint in our journey is Rossel Island at the eastern end of the Louisiades, 800nm from here.

'Tuesday evening, after sunset, rain squalls could be seen to be forming on the horizon to windward and moving menacingly towards us with obvious rain associated with them.

'Robin Hewitt, who has previously twice won the Cruising Division of the Osaka Race, warned us about these 'black bastards' - and true to form, their arrival would be heralded with a wind swing from ESE to NE with a jump in wind speed and dump warm rain upon us.

'However, after their passage, the wind remained in the NE without abating, which turned a pleasant reach into a close hauled reach with beam on seas, making for a very bumpy ride, but necessary to wear this course to clear Cato Islet, the first of the cays in our path.

'A change of sail plan required a trip to the foredeck to take down No. 4 headsail and the pole on No.1 headsail, resulting in a drenching as the bow of the boat disappeared under the wind, waves and swell.

'Around 0400hrs Wednesday, we finally passed Cato Islet, then Bird Islet around 1300hrs, and Observatory Cay at 2230hrs in good ESE 15-25 knots, achieving 8+ knots over the ground.

'Now only 600nm to Rossel Island, which will take us three-four days if the wind holds. Weather Grib files are suggesting light northerlies in the area by the end of the week, which is not what we want. Not on the nose again!

'We had a visitor this evening (Wednesday) in the form of a booby bird, who has decided to take up residence on our starboard solar panel above the steering station, and he is not keen to budge.

'These birds have a reputation for nesting and not leaving, including making themselves at home below, so we are not encouraging him to stay!'

At the back end of the fleet, Wild Boar now has Alex 18nm in front of her with Esoterica giving chase, 180nm in arrears. Both are somewhat larger than the Japanese entry, so are expected to outpace her.

Weather:

Bureau of Meteorology reports could well change positions in the fleet, with moderate south-easterlies expected along the Queensland coast today. However, a freshening southerly expected later this afternoon on the NSW coast will push the backmarkers along first, giving them the opportunity to make up some mileage.

Argos tracker positions at UTC 22.00.00 (8am AEST & 7am JPN Thursday):
COCORIN interland (Itaru Matsunaga/John Bankart), Gusto (Patrick Giudice/Brian Pattinson), Tamagomalu (Makoto Hisamatsu/Jimmi Doherty), Dekadence (Phil Coombs/Peter Walsh), Hullabaloo (Jim and son Joe O’Keeffe), Asadori (Shinsuke Nishi/Kyojun Fujita), Ingenue (David James and wife Rosie Colahan), Alex (Jock and son Hamish MacAdie), Wild Boar (Shozi Yuneda/Jun Kanda), Esoterica (Campbell Reynolds/David Best), Southern Light (Tom Crabb/Trent Justice), RYU-JIN (Murray Bucknall/Jon Sayer – in Bundaberg effecting rudder repairs), Cadi (John and son David Netherton, retired), Wasabi (Ken Down/Shane Gaddes – retired), Runaway (James Ryssenbeek/Andrew McCole – retired - in Bundaberg with keel damage). Pippin (Roger Sayers/Anthony Bown – retired, in Mooloolaba).