Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race - Conversations with the fleet

by Lisa Ratcliff, CYCA Event Media on 1 Aug 2010 While the likely Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race line honours winner continues to operate under a cone of silence as they concentrate on their final result, many in the fleet have been very chatty today, navigators taking a well earned break from their duties to report their progress in the 384 nautical mile race that began yesterday afternoon from Sydney Harbour.

Yendys’ navigator Will Oxley, one of Australia’s best, recently reported, 'We are in difficult conditions, the transition period I mentioned pre-race is alive and well'.

Oxley also took time to congratulate Loki on their efforts so far which have them fourth in the fleet and still leading on IRC handicap, as they have for all of today. Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63 is being helmed by international yachtsman Gordon Maguire and has a rock star crew pulling the strings including Anthony Merrington, Alby Pratt and Darren Senogles.

At lunchtime today, Balance owner Paul Clitheroe said, 'As much as I generally hate drifting, after a busy night where we saw the breeze peak out at 42 knots. There was plenty of excitement and water over the boat, now we are drifting in the sun sorting out wet spinnakers and having a coffee which is a very pleasant interlude.

'Balance is now coasting along approaching Smokey Cape with most of our division close enough to throw a blanket over.

'Right now skippers, tacticians and navigators on all boats are scratching their heads and hoping for enlightenment as we ponder the big move of the race. Do we go in and try to pick up the expected north westerly from the next front later in the day, or do we push out into the current looking for more pressure offshore?

'For the 38 to 50 footers this will be decisive and a great chance to look like a hero or a fool. Crossing the current twice will look great if there is pressure out and no pressure in, but if the pressure builds on the beach, pushing current out at sea will look pretty silly.

'So, in the lead group in Division 3, everyone is looking at each other and heading for the beach. Who will be brave enough to break ranks and head out?' Clitheroe pondered.

This afternoon Lahana’s navigator Willy Roberts provided the following insight, 'There is plenty of sunshine on the track. We are approaching Byron after a pleasant day and hectic night. We blew out the A3 in the early hours and had a major to retrieve the trailing remains.

'We are looking forward to a few beers, hopefully before Monday kicks in. We need to get over the Southport bar on the rising tide in order to get to the other bar, we have till midnight otherwise it's the long haul to Brisbane.'

On David Pescud’s Sailors with disABILITIES, crewman Irish Hannon this morning decreed 'Silence is Golden....especially at the mast.'

He elaborated, 'There was Lloyd Williams and Tom Murphy at the mast and mid bow with the SWD surfing under them as we were flying along in 30 knots with the jib top up and changing down to a jib in the dark at the midnight watch change over.

'Anyone familiar to this situation will know how informative the back of the boat can be to the mast and foredeck crew. Lots of advice from many people who realise how far away from the sharp end they are, but are all serious experts in this area.

'Lloyd and Tom have an advantage being part of the SWD crew in that they both have impaired hearing and require hearing aids, thus they are not affected by the over eagerness from the back of the boat.

'They work with the aid of signals and close crew work and training for such maneuvers which works well in daylight but requires even more concentration in darkness with wind whistling past the ears and wet weather hoods up. Most people can relate somewhat to this impaired hearing due to environment and clothing, but to Lloyd and Tom this is just another day and they get the job done,' Hannon reported.

Fleet positions are available via Yacht Tracker at http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au