Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta - Tigers on the prowl - Day One

by Lisa Ratcliff, Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta on 7 Mar 2010 The Flying Tigers, Farr 40s, Adams 10m and Farr 30s tucked in under South Head for their starts on day one of Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, a picture perfect Sydney day as this morning’s overcast skies finally burnt off to make way for perfect sailing conditions.

The 10 Flying Tigers, sporting names such as Shere Khan and Tiger Shark, sailed two harbour courses. Andrew Bristow’s Hello Tiger finished the best placed in the progressive pointscore on five points but Bristow has had to be happy sharing top points with Balmain Tiger and Five String Circus, currently second and third on a countback, demonstrating the tight racing the class enjoys.

In race two today, Hello Tiger worked its way through the fleet to build up a comfortable lead from the crew of Shere Khan, who chased but never caught the leading boat.

Another tiger, this time Chris Way’s Easy Tiger, won the five-boat Farr 40 division with a second and a first place, putting them one point ahead of Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion heading into tomorrow, the final day of the two-day regatta.

Regatta director Peter Hemery said of today: “There was good close racing right across the board. We had a beaut little nor’easter that was steady and competitors had a good, fair day’s sailing”.

All division winners from the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, which finishes tomorrow afternoon, will be eligible to compete at the Audi Final Challenge at Eastern Creek International Raceway on Monday for the opportunity of winning a brand new an A4 Avant 1.8 TFSI multi.