Mooloolaba to Airlie race fleet logs slow average speed

by Ian Grant on 4 Aug 2002 Weather conditions off the Fraser Island Coast this morning were more favourable for offshore fishing as the Mt Gay Rum Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach yacht race fleet slowly tracked a course to weather the Breaksea Spit Light later today.

Race leader Eureka had struggled to average 6.2 knots during the first 18.5 hours to 0630 hours this morning but still managed to extend her lead to six miles over the Sydney sloop The Dreamtime with another 4 miles to Aspect Computing

Fickle overnight winds which bent from a sea breeze to an improved South West spinnaker sailing wind this morning promises to lift the pace today but the prospects of any challenge to the race record of 52hours 34minutes 28 seconds appear remote.

When skipper Bob Robertson reported Eureka's position this morning they still faced 382 miles to sail and would need to average 11.2 knots over the next 34 hours to eclipse the record currently held by 2GB Titan Ford.

However this race still remains interesting as the fleet face another day of testing racing across the top of Hervey Bay as they fix a course for Cape Capricorn off Gladstone.

Conflicting reports of wind direction velocity in the waters between St Lawrence to Lady Elliott Island suggests the tacticians will face another searching test over the next 24 hours as the wind controlling high pressure system moves east into the Tasman Sea.

Meanwhile the race for overall class handicap honours remains close with the Greg Newtons Beneteau 47.7 Antipodes Australia leading the IRC class while the smaller Mooloolaba Yacht Club entry Sunshine Coast Roofing (Jeremy Leitch) held the fastest performance handicap corrected time this morning.

The 2002 race is sponsored by Mount Gay Rum.

Full sked information is available now at
http://www.sail-world.com/qldcoaster/index.cfm?SRSID=46