Three Peaks race leader reaches Coles Bay

by Sail-World.com on 12 Apr 2009 The Hydro Three Peaks fleet sailed from Lady Barron Flinders Island yesterday afternoon, after their runner returned from the first of the peaks, Mt Strzelecki on Flinders Islands.

After soft conditions overnight, the catamarans were leading; Phil Marshall’s nine metre Chamberlin Neil Buckby Motors Subaru and Terry Travers Chamberlin 11.4 Westbury-Mersey Pharmacy sailed through the Schouten Passage at the bottom of the Freycinet Peninsula this morning and drifted north towards Coles Bay, across glassy water.

The only mid-morning action to be found at the jetty, where merchandise selling and food and drink is getting under way.

Marshall’s catamaran was leading by two nautical miles. Behind them third placed Rob Gourlay’s Thompson 12 metre Tas Marine Constructions was yet to enter Schouten Passage.

The largest cat on the course, the 14m catamaran BWR was sturggling through Schouten Passage in light headwind. Skipper Bruce Arms said they'd spent five hours rowing. Also rowing was Team Whistler, in the same situation about 1000m behind BWR. Behind them the remainder of the fleet is strung out off the coast of the Freycinet Peninsula.

'It's good to be half an hour in front rather than half an hour behind,' Marshall said as his crew rowed up Coles Bay in an extremely light north-easterly. Tactician Steve Walker said their winning move had been gybing earlier and heading inshore.

They experienced mostly seven to nine knots and never more than 15 on their way down the coast, but did 11 knots for five hours during the night.

Although it probably wasn't enough breeze for Phil Marshall and the other sailors on the lead boat, runner Mark Guy said it had been a great night for him and running partner Tim Piper.

He said they were recovering well from yesterday's run, which they finished in a blistering five hours 47 minutes. 'We wanted to make a statement to the other teams,' Guy said. 'Tim just ran fantastically.'

As they moved up the bay Rob Gourlay’s monohull Tas Marine Construction sailed inside the race favourite Terry Travers Westbury-Mersey Pharmacy for second place and is also leading the monohull division.

Gourlay tacked up the eastern side of the bay, hugging the Freycinet Peninsula, while Travers has lost ground sailed further west before tacking toward Coles Bay.

Both boats were fighting it out on the Coles Bay side of Schouten. Neil Buckby Motors Subaru was officially the first boat to Coles Bay. Mark Guy and Tim Piper are off and running.

Race officals predict it will be another hour until Tas Marine Construction arrive.