Wot Yot’s impressive Bird Island Race

by Peter Campbell on 6 Oct 2007 Cruising Yacht Club of Australia director Graeme Wood’s TP52 Wot Yot has taken line honours and second place overall on IRC handicaps in provisional results for the Bird Island Race, the second event in the prestigious Blue Water Point Score for 2007-2008.

In a remarkably close finish in Sydney Harbour at the end of the 85 nautical mile overnight course along the New South Wales Central Coast, Wot Yot held off a late challenge for line honours from the 90-footer Andrew Short Marine Brindabella (Andrew Short) and Syd Fischer’s latest Ragamuffin, also a TP52.

Wot Yot crossed the line in Rushcutters Bay just 33 seconds in front of ASM Brindabella, with 1 minute 38 seconds to Ragamuffin, having its first race in Australia for Syd Fischer. The race also marks the start of Fischer’s 45th season in ocean yacht racing.

On both IRC and PHS corrected times, the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club entry, Secret Mens Business #1, is provisionally placed first overall.

A syndicate of three Alfred’s members, Ross Trembath, Rob Curtis and Doug Sneddon, own the now 11-year-old Murray 42, originally from Adelaide and then owned in Melbourne.

They entered Secret Mens Business #1 in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race yesterday, only hours before the start of the overnight Bird Island Race.

At 12 noon today, only 11 of the 24 starters had completed the course, but at this stage Secret Mens Business #1 looks to be in a strong position to retain her position at the top, with the southerly change slowing down the rest of the fleet.

Provisional placings at 12 noon today in the IRC division place Secret Mens Business in first place ahead of Wot Yot and Ragamuffin. In the PHS division, the provisional placings so far place Secret Mens Business first ahead of the Middle Harbour yacht Pla Loma (Rob Reynolds) and Paul Clitheroe’s Sydney 47 CR Balance.

Wot Yot led the fleet north to round Bird Island late night ahead of Ragamuffin which drew level on the spinnaker run down the coast in a freshening north-westerly breeze.

At the 07:00 sked this morning the two TP52s were abeam of each other, but Wot Yot drew away to lead through the Heads, crossing the finish line in Rushcutters Bay just 33 seconds ahead of Ian Short’s ASM Brindabella, with Syd Fischer’s Brindabella 1 minute 38 seconds further astern.

'It was quite a challenging night, with the wind shifting in direction and up and down in strength,' sail trimmer Genevieve White said later this morning. 'Ragamuffin was close to us around the island and came up almost abeam on the spinnaker run back down the coast. You had to be right on the ball with positioning and sail changes.

'Then it was a new ball game when we got into the harbour, with the breeze lightening and Brindabella and Rags coming up fast astern.'

White said prominent Queensland sailor Adrian Finglass had joined the crew for last night’s race. 'It was bit like old times as Adrian and I sailed 420s when we were 16-year-olds.'

As they sailed back to Pittwater after finishing, an elated Ross Trembath said the provisional first place was the boat’s best performance since he and his partners, Rob Curtis and Doug Sneddon bought it from a Victorian owner just on a year ago.

'It is a very pleasing result for our first Blue Water Point Score race, particularly as we entered the boat only yesterday for the Rolex Sydney Hobart,' Trembath said.

'We went out with a game plan to treat the 85-miler as a sprint race; we parked off Newport for about half an hour last night but then we got into the right wind pattern and stayed in phase all night.'

Trembath said all the crew was from Royal Prince Alfred and Avalon Sailing Club. 'We have an excellent nucleus of crew as each of the owners has extended family who are good sailors; in the crew of 11 there are at least seven who are good steerers, and five or six who can go up the bow if needed.'

Since buying Secret Mens Business #1, the syndicate has bought a new North Sails wardrobe and plan a strong campaign leading up to the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Her performance against a line-up of other potential Sydney Hobart contenders is certainly encouraging for this syndicate of owners and their crew.