Ragamuffin on course for Blue Water Pointscore and another Mooloolaba Race victory

by Peter Campbell on 18 Feb 2002 Veteran ocean racing yachtsman Syd Fischer has set his Farr 50, Ragamuffin, on course for yet another win in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s
prestigious Blue Water Pointscore, the season-long series of long ocean races off the Australian East Coast.


At the same time, Ragamuffin has emerged as a firm favourite to score her second successive win in the autumn classic race from Sydney to
Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the Blue Water Pointscore decider.



Organised by the CYCA in conjunction with Mooloolaba Yacht Club, and again sponsored by local company, Forrester Properties, with the longtime
support of Maroochy Shire Council, the 469 nautical mile starts from Sydney Harbour on Saturday, 23 March.



The Notice of Race is now available in hard copy and also online through the CYCA’s website – www.cyca.com.au with entries closing 8 March.



The Mooloolaba race is the final event for the prestigious Blue Water Pointscore (IMS) and also the Cape Byron Trophy (IRC) and Tasman Performance
Series (PHS) pointscores, with only a handful of points between the leading yachts in each division.



The BWPS includes three long ocean races, the Sydney - Gold Coast Race in August, the Sydney Hobart in December and the Sydney - Mooloolaba just
before Easter each year.



The second last BWPS event, a 90 nautical mile race south to Flinders Islet that replaced the CYCA’s Wollongong weekend races last weekend, saw
Ragamuffin, win on corrected time in both both the IMS and IRC handicap categories.



Fischer’s investment in new D4 sails from the Doyle Fraser loft this season, plus having a consistently good crew, has seen Ragamuffin sail consistently
well, with a close IMS Division second in the JPMorgan Regatta, a second in the British Trophy Regatta, and a third in the 57th Sydney Hobart Race in
December. She was also a member of the winning New South Wales team in the Southern Cross Cup.



Last weekend’s Bird Islet Race left Ragamuffin with 379 points in the Blue Water Championship, a lead of seven points from Graham Gibson’s Farr 46,
Ninety Seven, on 372 points, just one point ahead of Ashley Reed and Michael Spies’ Beneteau 40.7, Shipping Central, on 371 points.



In the Cape Byron Series (IRC) Ragamuffin (373) is only three points ahead of Richard Holstein’s Sydney 38, Next (370), but there is a gap of 10 points to
the third placed Nips N Tux, Howard de Torres’ IMX-40, on 360 points.


Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ Hick 36, AFR Midnight Rambler, heads the Tasman Performance Series (PHS) on 361 points going into the Mooloolaba Race,
but this is just one point from Ninety Seven (360) and two points back to Shipping Central (358) another two to Next (356) and two points again to Scot
Wheelhouse’s Sea Jay on 354 points.



Big boats dominated last year's Forrester Properties Sydney- Mooloolaba Race, with Ragamuffin winning overall from George Snow’s Jutson-designed maxi
yacht, Brindabella, and Howard de Torres’ IMX-40, Nips N Tux.



Sean Langman’s Xena, now called Grundig and extended to a 66-footer, won the IRC division from line honours winner, Grant Wharington's 83-footer Wild
Thing, third going to Stephen Ainsworth's Swan 48, Loki.



Wharington’s plans with Wild Thing are not certain as the Victorian yachtsman is sailing in leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race, although the boat is apparently
being prepared for the Mooloolaba race.



The CYCA Sailing Office expects a fleet of between 40 and 50 boats, obviously including those boats vying for the BWPS and other ocean pointscores.



Owners of most of the leading big boats based in Sydney are expected to enter, including Brindabella, Grundig, and John Biddlecombe’s Open 60, Liberty.



Snow is anxious to get back into the line honours winner’s circle after a disappointing Sydney Hobart Race, while Langman is on a high after Grundig’s
dashing win in this year’s Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race. Liberty also did well in that race, leading much of the way before crossing the line in third place.



Langman has his sights set on race records for both the Sydney-Mooloolaba, starting on March 23, and the Brisbane to Gladstone which starts from
Moreton Bay on Good Friday, March 29.



However, consistently strong sou’westers or sou’easters will be needed to break both records.



Grundig, then a 60-footer and racing as Xena, set the record of 21 hours 44 minutes 39 seconds for the Gladstone race last year, while Brindabella, then
a 76-footer, averaged 10.62 knots for the 469 nautical miles to Mooloolaba in 1997, also in heavy running conditions.



Brindabella’s time of 44 hours 01 minute 43 seconds was the fastest since the famous Helsal took just 45 hours 00 minutes 27 seconds to complete the
course, running before a southerly gale in 1976.