Amante nears Mackay and finish line

by Lisa Ratcliff on 4 Aug 2007 Dennis Cooper’s Northshore 38 Amante is closing in on the finish of the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race, sailing north of the Percy Islands with some 50 nautical miles to go.

Their ETA is around 2.30am tomorrow morning.

Ian Sanford’s Tartan, the last boat in the fleet, is currently 33 nautical miles south east of the Percy Islands with 100 nautical miles to the finish. They are due to finish the 898 nautical mile race just before lunchtime tomorrow, Sunday 5 August.

Today marks a week at sea for Amante and Tartan which left Sydney Harbour last Saturday for the start of the Audi Sydney Mackay and Audi Sydney Gold Coast yacht races.

At 1.20pm on the 2nd August, David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities finished second over the line in the 898 nautical mile Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race.

Their finish time fell in between the optimum five day race and Pescud’s ETA of 8pm tonight for him to walk away with the rum, but nonetheless he and his crew were delighted to arrive at Mackay early this afternoon after spending 5 days 20 minutes at sea.

'I couldn’t handle the social calendar any longer,' joked Pescud.

He reported no on board breakages, 'only a couple of hearts, the parties were pretty rough.'

The breeze filled in around 3am this morning bringing the Sydney based Lyons 54 to the finish line in good time. Sailors with disAbilities has now joined the line honours winner Limit on the marina.

Pescud plans to head out to the Barrier Reef for a week’s rest and relaxation before commencing a gruelling program which will see he and some of his crew take disabled and disadvantaged young people out sailing. In total the boat will host 12 groups out of Mackay before heading back down the coast, stopping off to host groups at Bundaberg, Southport and Coffs Harbour.

Sailors with disAbilities - website www.sailorswithdisabilities.com

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