90 yachts register -Lexus of Adelaide Lincoln Week

by Pia Gerard on 19 Feb 2008 The 59th Lexus of Adelaide Bluewater Classic (February 22nd - 23rd) and Lexus Lincoln Week (from 25th) have 90 yachts registered for the event.

Key competitors include Grant Wharington and his super maxi, Skandia, and Martin Riley's Raw Nerve, a superfast multi hull, also from Melbourne which holds the Brisbane to Gladstone record. If conditions suit the 50 footer Crowther racing catamaran with 100 feet of waterline will outrun her smaller heavier rival, Skandia (with only 98 foot of waterline). In 2005 Raw Nerve just missed out in breaking the Sydney to Hobart race record.

This year Skandia will be crewed by some of the Women on Water team as well as many local sailing identities including David Buckland, Steve Kemp, Tim Cowen and Geoff Boettcher. In addition, retired Crows legend Mark Ricciuto (Roo) will come on board.

The Lexus of Adelaide Bluewater Classic leaves from the Royal South Australia Yacht Squadron this Friday at 3pm and the yachts arrive in Port Lincoln's Boston Bay the following day.

The Lexus Lincoln Week Regatta follows with racing in and around Boston Bay.

There are five racing divisions in the Lexus of Adelaide Bluewater Classic: IRC, Arbitrary Handicap, Multihull, Sydney 32 and Cruising.

'Port Lincoln comes to life with this event,' says Port Lincoln Yacht Club Commodore, Ben Kelsey. 'It's a really vibrant time to be in Port Lincoln and most nights there's something going on whether it's a barbecue on the beach or food stalls and live bands on the shore - we encourage anyone who has never been to a Lexus Lincoln Week to pay us a visit and join in the fun, yachtie or not.'

'We have watched the Lexus of Adelaide Bluewater Classic grow each year which is fantastic but the Lincoln Week Regatta, which was originally implemented to give yachties something to do while they were in the area, has tripled in size and scale.'

To register for the Lexus of Adelaide Bluewater Classic and the Lexus Lincoln Week, visit www.plyc.com.au