illbruck leads fleet in Sydney to Hobart

by Peter Campbell on 29 Dec 2001 The German yacht illbruck, winner of the first two legs of the Volvo Ocean Race
around the world, late tonight the fleet towards the “home stretch” of the 630
nautical mile 57th CYCA Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.



She was closing Tasman Island, from where it is just 30 miles to sail across Storm Bay
and up the River Derwent to the finish off Hobart’s historic Battery Point.



While computer predictions gave illbruck an ETA of 3.11am, Cruising Yacht Club of
Australia officials say that in reality the finish is more likely to be between 5am and
6am – at the earliest.



The leading yachts were sailing in less than 10 knots of breeze down the East Coast
of Tasmania, with light south-westerly winds blowing in Storm Bay – and no wind in
the Derwent, the 11 mile finish leg to Hobart.



Illbruck, skippered by American John Kostecki, slipped away from a tight group of six
yachts as they sailed slowly down the Tasmanian East Coast in winds of less than 10
knots, in marked contrast to the 25-30 knots the fleet has encountered for most of
the voyage since leaving Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, 26 December.



In her position report at 2105 hours tonight, illbruck placed herself 20 mile north of
Tasman Island, with just under 62 miles to sail to the finish.



She was about two miles ahead of another VO60, Tyco, which was about
two-and-a-half miles astern followed closely by Assa Abloy, Team News Corp, Djuice
and Ludde Ingvall’s Swedish maxi, Nicorette, which was just over nine miles astern of
illbruck.



Nicorette reported she was sailing in a south easterly breeze of only 8 knots, making
7.5 knots, while Assa Abloy reported similar conditions, while the River Derwent
remained windless after midnight.



Tyco, of course, is being scored DNF (did not finish) as far the Sydney Hobart Race is
concerned with the Race Committee ruling yesterday that she she had failed to meet
the mandatory safety check-in requirements when passing 37 degrees 15 minutes
South (Green Cape) before continuing to race across Bass Strait.



Astern of Nicorette came Amer Sports One, followed by Bumblebee 5, the MBD 62
skippered by Iain Murray, Line 7, the former Volvo 60 now owned by Ian Treleaven,
and George Snow’s extended 80-footer Brindabella.



Projected corrected time position continue to place Bumblebee 5 leading the grand
prix IMS division from veteran Syd Fischer in his Farr 50, Ragamuffin, and the much
travelled Davidson 55 from New Zealand, Starlight Express, now owned by Stewart
Thwaites.



In the IRC division, the Polish maxi yacht Lodka Bols, skippered by New Zealand
based English yachtsman Gordon Kay, is bay in first place, ahead of Nicorette and
Line 7, while leading the PHS division Aspect Computing (David Pescud) from Valtair
(Matt Allen) and the South Australian boat Rager (Gary Shanks).



The retirement late yesterday of Panache, with electrical problems brought the total
withdrawals to 16, leaving 59 boats still racing to Hobart with the tailender Paea II,
the Defence Forces yacht from New Zealand, still 400 nautical miles from Hobart.