Second Min-Transat retires from 2002 Tranz Tasman race

by Rob Kothe on 29 Apr 2002 The 6.5 metre Min- Transat 'Up the Blue' suffered a dismasting in 30 knots about a quarter of the way from Sydney to Auckland at 20:20 last night

Chris Sayer and Chris Gravit reported last night that they were both OK and would sit out the night before erecting a jury rig and returning to Sydney.

They refused offers of help from the rest of the fleet.

The Sayer 13metre 'Sayernara' is leading the fleet 403 miles east of Sydney.
She is 15 miles ahead of Vince Lamond & Ian Schmit on the 12 metre 'Spirit of Downunder'.

'Drina', the classic green Langerburn 50' crewed by Mike Thurston & Jamie Hocking is well south of the Beneteau 45' 'Anteater' (Phil & Josh Hearse) but have similar distances to sail.

Paul Kelly and Alan Ridley aboard 'Touchstone' are between these two boats, just on the horizon, nine miles back.

Retirements

'Wildchild' - Mini Transat 6.5m- Phil Bower & Noel Elliot (returning to Wollongong)

'Liberty' - Open 60 - John Biddlecombe & John Bankart (back in Sydney)

'Up the Blue' - Mini Transat 6.5m- Chris Sayer & Jon Gravit (returning to Sydney)

To discover more about Short Handed sailing go to http://www.ssaa.com.au

Sail-World will be providing mid-race sked information as it regularly does for offshore races. The event mini-site is at http://www.sail-world.com/tranztas

About an hour after each sked, the SSAA is posting the radio sked positions, which will display on the Sydney to Auckland charts.

Skeds are at 7:45 and 16:45, progressive handicap positions; distances to the finish along with computed ETA's will be also displayed.

The latest sked can be viewed here

http://www.sail-world.com/tranztas/index.cfm?SRSID=38

For more information on Australia's Pentacomstat

http://www.pentacomstat.com.au