Black Jack heads for runaway Brisbane Gladstone win

by Ian Grant on 11 Apr 2009 Brisbane pocket-maxi Black Jack, the top performing 66 foot canting keel Reichel Pugh blasted past Lady Elliot Island at 3 o’clock this morning.

Owner Peter Harburg was onboard heading for his own special place in the 61 year Brisbane to Gladstone Race history when skipper Mark Bradford and crew left a white water wake reaching the 223 nautical mile mark with a remarkable average speed of 14.86 knots.

The experience was a ride to remember for the Black Jack crew especially for Peter Harburg who no doubt had a special thought for his father ABC Radio personality Clive who broadcast the start of the first race in 1949.

When Black Jack cleared Moreton Bay before dusk yesterday there was an obvious sign that her crew were heading for a comfortable line honours win over the smaller yachts Quantum Racing, Wot Yot, Wot Now, Shogun and Wedgetail.

But by 3am today Black Jack had stretched her lead to an amazing 32 nautical miles over the 2008 winner Ray Roberts Cooson 50 Quantum Racing and promised to make a clean sweep on the trophies including the 61 year old Courier-Mail Cup awarded to the outright race winner on corrected handicap as the crew continued to enjoy a fast spinnaker sailing ride across Hervey Bay.

Race Director Herb Prendergast is expecting Black Jack to complete the 308 nautical mile classic with an approximate course time of 22 hours, some 2 hours outside the 20 hour 24 minute 50 second record set by Grant Wharington’s maxi Skandia in 2004.

However the pre dawn 18 to 20knot easterly wind was not blowing from the best angle forcing Black Jack to continually tack downwind to log the required speed to keep her overall race winning chances alive.

Based on the fleet positions this morning Quantum Racing and the 1964 race winner Pagan (Peter Kerr) which trailed Black Jack by 117 nautical miles appeared the only threats.