Volvo 60 Nikon Spirit of The Maid - secret weapon

by Ian Grant on 13 Jul 2010 Volvo 60 Nikon Spirit of The Maid will be on the pace when they compete for the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Performance Racing trophy from August 21-28, as promised by Bruce Absolon.

The former Rolex Sydney Hobart Race record holder now permanently based at Hamilton Island when not racing in major Australian offshore events, has a new ‘secret weapon in her sail inventory.

Extensive exposure from a long list of competitive racing miles had forced Bruce Absolon to replace the main with a modern generation new sail from the World famed North Loft.

'The old sail had served beyond its use by date. Our plan is to have the new sail ‘blow in’ to hopefully allow us to achieve a top Race Week result' he said.

It’s an exciting time for skipper Bruce Absolon who was a broken man when his former ocean racer, the dual Sydney Hobart Race winner Ausmaid, was dramatically wrecked on Noosa North Shore beach in April 2009.

Thankfully the enthusiastic blue water sailor retained his passion for the sport and has renamed the former Volvo Globe racer Nikon Spirit of The Maid in honour of Ausmaid.

Recovering the wrecked Ausmaid was a labour of love which the hardy blue water racer Bruce Absolon is never likely to forget.

However he is managing to heal the wound with racing Nikon Spirit of The Maid in the coastal classics including the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour and Brisbane to Gladstone races.

But his present focus is to become a major contender to win the Performance Racing line honours trophy over an interesting fleet including the former XXXX-Ansett Hamilton Island Race Week silver medallist Ice Fire now owned and skippered by Victorian Peter Cox.

Meanwhile Bruce Absolon and the Nikon Spirit of The Maid racing team look forward to testing ‘the secret weapon’ when the battle lines are drawn for class honours in the opening race of the week long series on Saturday August 21.