Veteran skipper keen for podium finish in Brisbane to Keppel race

by Ian Grant on 22 Jul 2009
Sunshine Coast ‘Old Salt’ Bob Robertson will face yet another serious ocean sailing challenge when he skippers the Mooloolaba sloop Cracklin Rosie in the 348 n/ml Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel race starting on August 1st.

The veteran skipper who has proudly flown his battle flag in all of Australia’s major races including the physically tormenting Rolex Sydney-Hobart will have a personal score to settle which will gain intensity when the start signal is fired on Moreton Bay.

It’s been a while since the colourful blue water racing skipper has celebrated a major race result and he is keen to change the run of mid fleet finishes by adding another important entry to his personal log book which already includes a third overall in the Sydney-Hobart and two Courier-Mail Cup Brisbane to Gladstone Race victories.

Those results are now distant memories and the determined veteran ocean racer understands that he and his Cracklin Rosie crew will have their experience and tactical strategy tested by their younger rivals well before clearing Moreton Bay via the Caloundra Fairway Buoy.

They are also well aware of the second by second commitments that will be required to keep Cracklin Rosie on the pace in what may become a supreme test of endurance which depending on the prevailing winds could stretch beyond 46 hours before they can enjoy a warm shower and a cold beer in comfort at the Roslyn Bay Marina.

While the desire to succeed still remains the Cracklin Rosie crew understand that they will have their backs to the wall in a race which has attracted another high standard fleet including the 2009 Brisbane to Gladstone line honours winner Black Jack and the overall corrected handicap champion Ray Roberts and his Evolution Racing combination.

The Peter Harburg owned and Mark Bradford skippered Black Jack which set the present 1 day 9 hour 13 minuet 13 second record in 2008 remains as a short priced favourite to retain her undefeated run of line honours in Queensland’s major events including the 2008 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week trophy while the smaller Evolution Racing stands as the pacesetter to win the race outright on corrected time.

However this will not alter the intensity for the Cracklin Rosie crew who have a few ‘rum wagers’ to protect in their private Farr 40 class match race against the Peter Sherwood skippered Bribie Star and the Russell Mc Cart skippered Night Nurse.

The three almost identical yachts are evenly matched in boat speed however Bribie Star has proved to be faster in the longer distance ocean races including finishing second in this classic 12 months ago.

Her principal skipper Peter Sherwood easily won the class match race leaving Night Nurse and Cracklin Rosie to stage a nip-n-tuck dog-fight with Night Nurse eventually sailing clear to force Bob Robertson and the Cracklin Rosie crew into accepting the third best prize in the Farr 40 clash.

This year’s race presents a new challenge however based on results from 2008 Cracklin Rosie will need to find a 49 seconds per mile speed improvement to beat Bribie Star and 2.15 seconds a mile to finish ahead of Night Nurse.