21st Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race fleet heads for Hobart

by Holly Ranson on 13 Apr 2009 Hobart is the next stop and final destination for the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race fleet.

Nine boats have left Coles Bay and the leaders are on track to arrive in the State capital on Monday afternoon.

Neil Buckby Motors Subaru is sailing quickly down the coast and was at last radio communication east of Triabunna. Skipper Phil Marshall will be attempting to position his runners out of striking distance from their challengers on Westbury-Mersey Pharmacy. But the second-placed skipper will not give up without a fight and is no doubt hoping his competitor is slowed up at Dunalley Canal enough for them to race up the Derwent neck-and-neck again.

The leading monohull left Coles Bay at 10.07pm. Tas Marine Construction’s runner Donovan Jacka and back-up runner Jeremy Grey took six and-a-half hours to complete the 35km. The Thompson 920 gave the multihull division leader about two hours’ head start. However, it made up about five hours on the last sailing leg so will be hoping to have similar success on the sail to Hobart.

Peccadillo was the next boat to go, despite arriving in ninth place. Grant Houniet and John Winsbury pushed the boat up the rankings with a four and-a-half hour run.

Pisces’ runners followed to make the Sydney 36 the first fully-crewed entry under way to Hobart, but Sullivans Cove Whisky was in hot pursuit.

Team Whistler was the second short-handed monohull to get away from Coles Bay. Haphazard followed suit shortly after and then the team from BWR Multihulls, which took a wrong turn and added time to their run.

There were two boats in Coles Bay and two yet to arrive at the second stopover at midnight on Saturday.