Sou’wester pushing Audi Sydney Gold Coast fleet

by Lisa Ratcliff on 30 Jul 2007 This afternoon the top three IRC handicap results in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race were confirmed with Steven David’s Wild Joe announced the overall winner, his second win in this race in as many years.

The top three overall placings remain unchanged from this morning with Wild Joe beating Rob Hanna’s new Rogers 46 Shogun and Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X.

Upon confirmation of his win, Steven David thanked his crew for the effort they put into the boat’s preparation.

'Setting the boat up for this race is a big thing. We used the Audi Winter Series on Sydney Harbour to iron out a few niggling problems and we’ve made a few modifications since Hamilton Island Race Week last year. Both things have seen us perform well in this race.

'Full credit to the boys for sailing a fast race and keeping to the strategy…and for not destroying the boat,' he added.

David wasn’t aboard Wild Joe for this race, instead leaving the boat in the capable hands of Adam Beashel, strategist aboard America’s Cup challenger Emirates Team New Zealand which lost to the Swiss defender Alinghi earlier this month.

'I’m usually the lonely Aussie amongst a bunch of kiwis. It was great to sail with an all Australian crew,' Beashel said last night after docking at Southport Yacht Club.

PHS provisional results show Rick Scott-Murphy’s Namadgi has moved back into first ahead of Stampede and newcomer to the top three, Ian Sanford’s Tartan which is also entered in the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race.

It will be a busy night for the finish team at the De Ville apartments and the staff at Southport Yacht Club with the remaining 43 yachts still racing due to finish the annual 384 nautical mile race before 2am tomorrow morning.

The fleet’s progress has quickened today thanks to a lively 15 knot sou’west breeze which is pushing the remaining boats up the NSW far north coast and into Queensland waters to the finish line in good time.

A short while ago, Sal Ridulfo, the owner/skipper of Plus 16 reported beautiful sailing conditions.

'The weather is splendid with consistent breeze, although it’s a little cool on the back,' he said.

He also reported two new records had been broken during this trip; the boat hit a top speed of 14.8 knots during the first night at sea and today, crewmember Joanne Terrans finally found the hidden chocolate after 48 hours at sea.

Late this afternoon on board the Oceanis 50 Apres Vous, owner John Griffin and sailing master Rob Evans came on deck for their watch 'all spruced up' after a hot shower. Crewman David Salter or 'we of the unwashed' reported he is happy to remain 'scungy'.

Salter also advised that Matthew Hunter, the young Qantas maintenance engineer who went to work on Apres Vous’s broken spinnaker pole fitting yesterday morning, managed to successfully fashion a temporary fitting which has allowed them to carry a spinnaker.

Following the withdrawal of Ross McDonald’s Pelagic Magic, two of the four boats continuing on to Mackay in the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race have now passed through the finish gate at Southport. Alan Brierty’s Limit and David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities have recorded a result for the Audi Sydney Gold Coast with Dennis Cooper’s Amante and Tartan still to finish the 384 nautical mile leg before commencing the longer Southport to Mackay leg.

To follow the Audi Sydney Mackay fleet via Google Earth go to http://mackay.cyca.com.au/ge/cyca_smackay_yachtrace.kml

The official trophy presentation for the Audi Sydney Gold Coast will be held at Southport Yacht Club at 11am Tuesday morning.

Official race website http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au

Audi Australia www.audi.com.au