Getaway-Sailing.com nearing Lord Howe Island

by Peter Campbell on 29 Oct 2007 Fleet leader Getaway-Sailing.com had less that 50nm to sail to the finish line of the Hempel 34th Gosford to Lord Howe ocean race at this morning’s 0800 ‘sked’.

The Volvo 60, skippered by Peter Goldsworthy from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, cut a further 124nm off the 414nm race distance in the 16 hours between position reports.

Winds appear to have lightened as she nears the island across the Tasman Sea and her average speed has dropped overnight from 9.22 knots to 8.87 knots. Her PHS handicap position, according to progressive analysis, has seen her drop from third to eighth.

In contrast, the IRC handicap leader AFR Midnight Rambler, Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ modified Farr 40, has sailed 130nm between skeds and this morning had just under 96nm to sail to the finish.

Following Getaway-Sailing.com and AFR Midnight Rambler are the Queensland boat Dream Lover (Rick Morgan) with 102.5nm to sail,

Great Expectations (Rod Wills) 125.0, Azzuro (Azzuro Syndicate, SASC) 126.5 and Occasional Coarse Language (Warwick Sherman, CYCA), with 134.5nm to the finish.

AFR Midnight Rambler continues to hold her position at the top of the IRC leaderboard with the Cavalier 35 Morna, skippered by Greg Zyner from Manly Yacht Club, now in second place ahead of the X-43 X-yacht Great Expectations, also from CYCA.

The veteran Pacha, skippered by Bill Koppe from the Gosford Sailing Club, which had been in second place late yesterday, has dropped back overnight to be seventh in standings.

In the PHS division. Dream Lover, a Murray Burns Dovell 40, continues to head the progressive standings, with the Canberra Ocean Racing Club’s Namadgi, skippered by Rick Scott moving up to second place on handicap overnight, although she is near the back of the fleet.

In third place is the Lake Macquarie boat Inner Circle, skippered by Darren Cooney and Ken Robinson.

	START:                 OCTOBER	27	13	00
						HRS FROM START
	SKED 3 - DATE/TIME: Sunday	28	15	05		26.08
IRC PROGRESSIVE RESULTS
						DIST		TRUE	CORR
	YACHT NAME	LAT		LONG		TO FIN	TCC	SPEED	SPEED	PLACE
8338	AFR Midnight Rambler	32	45	154	49	226.3	1.165	7.20	6.18	1
97	Pacha	32	10	154	21	241.7	1.073	6.61	6.16	2
2090	Morna	33	17	154	15	264.0	0.953	5.75	6.03	3
5527	Polaris of Belmont	33	10	154	13	263.0	0.976	5.79	5.93	4
6343	Great Expectations	33	03	154	33	244.9	1.094	6.48	5.93	5
3724	Salona	33	16	154	30	252.1	1.050	6.21	5.91	6
8008	Occasional Coarse Language	32	42	154	16	252.1	1.116	6.21	5.56	7
4057	Aurora	32	57	154	02	267.6	1.049	5.61	5.35	8
6156	Kioni	32	22	152	35	332.1	1.123	3.14	2.80	9
PHS PROGRESSIVE RESULTS
						DIST		TRUE	CORR
	YACHT NAME	LAT		LONG		TO FIN	TCF	SPEED	SPEED	PLACE
826	Dream Lover	32	57	154	54	226.3	1.053	7.20	6.83	1
3433	Dreamtime	33	17	154	33	250.2	1.011	6.28	6.21	2
NOR2	Getaway-Sailing.com	32	57	156	03	173.6	1.497	9.22	6.16	3
6388	Namadgi	33	10	154	13	263.0	0.949	5.79	6.10	4
M762	Inner Circle	33	08	154	21	256.1	0.998	6.05	6.07	5
A142	Azzuro	33	00	154	26	249.4	1.063	6.31	5.94	6
4045	Time Out	33	05	154	06	266.9	0.957	5.64	5.89	7
b126	Silver Lady	33	28	154	04	276.8	0.920	5.26	5.72	8
4384	First Light	33	00	154	05	266.1	1.022	5.67	5.55	9