Gladstone monohull fleet on the wind
by Ian Grant on 6 Apr 2007
Ichi Ban won the Audi Sydney Southport race, she is favoured to back up in the Brisban to Gladstone. Sail-World.com /AUS
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A soft sea breeze contributed a slow start to the 59th Brisbane to Gladstone race on Bramble Bay at 11 o’clock this morning.
The 53 crews clothed in colourful shirts were soaked in sunshine while some ominous wind bearing clouds appeared on the southern horizon promising strong winds when the fleet sails down the North West Shipping Channel later today
Meanwhile the fleet faced a slow beat into the wind on the leg to round the Garnett Rock Beacon off Suttons Beach on the Redcliffe Peninsula.
Graeme Wood’s Wot Yot led out of the start closely followed by the 2006 line honours champion Heaven Can Wait (Peter Hollis) and Kevin Miller’s Quest from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban strongly tipped to challenge the race record of 20 hours 24 minutes 50 seconds started conservatively from the middle of the line.
However Ichi Ban soon showed her speed to lead while a close battle developed between Wot Yot, Heaven Can Wait, Quest, Limit and Quantum Racing as they prepared to weather Garnett Rock Beacon while the wind started to freshen from the south.
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