Is Outsider NT an outsider? Brisbane to Gladstone
by Ian Grant on 20 Feb 2008
Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race QCYC
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron skipper Geoff Anderson is not prepared to accept that his sloop Outsider NT is among the list of outsiders to win the historical 60 year old The Courier Mail Cup in the Brisbane to Gladstone blue water classic over the Easter weekend.
Skipper Geoff Anderson and his Outsider NT crew including navigator Ian Skelsey fully understand their sloop has the potential after winning the Performance Handicap trophy in Surf to City (Southport Seaway to Sandgate Brisbane) passage race last month.
The result gained from a commitment to sail the prevailing wind and sea conditions with limited errors in technique and tactics has added an important element of confidence to the crew as they prepare for the more demanding 308 n/ml open ocean classic starting from Sandgate’s Bramble Bay at 11 am on Good Friday (March 21st).
Their confidence built from regular racing over shorter courses on Moreton Bay has prepared them for what promises to be a heavy workload of sail changing while spending long periods on the windward rail exposed to both wind and spray.
They also understand that their sloop which first raced to Gladstone under her original owner Ross Perrins in 1992 and winning the race outright in 1993 against the Sydney-Hobart champion Assassin can record another major while adding a special celebration to her 16th season of ocean racing.
Outsider’s impressive racing log which includes regattas in Darwin, Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island has a page set aside to record the important tactical notes this year.
Also her 1993 elapsed time of 28 hours 18minutes 54 seconds will be clearly displayed in the navigator’s nook as a target for the new generation crew to beat.
It will take a sustained commitment of endurance however the new look Outsider NT crew have done the hard miles to become a realistic chance to challenge her best Gladstone Race average of 10.87 knots and command the respect of being more than just another OUTSIDER.
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