Audi IRC Australian titles - Archambault on track for third win

by John Curnow on 23 Aug 2010 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is the final round of the 2010 Audi IRC Australian Championship – and Harvey Milne's Archambault 31, Aroona is on track to win the title.

The first round of the Audi IRC Australian Championship at Geelong in January got Aroona off to a good start with their second in Division Three. In Sydney in March, they went one better and got the first place they hade been seeking (Division Three). Naturally this put the pressure on for the Sydney Gold Coast race, where Aroona was first again (Division Four) and placed seventh overall!

Going into Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, they held a very hand lead over the big end of town. Sitting on just 14.74 points, they were in front of the Farr55, Living Doll on 41.07 points and then the Reichel Pugh 63, Loki, back on 60.87 points.

Now he may not have sailed the Sydney Gold Coast feeder event, but Harvey got the very much qualified, Anthony Paterson and the crew of Tow Truck to do it for him, instead. They did not fail and impressed all with their result.

‘They had a comfortable race to Southport', Harvey reported. ‘A dry boat, with just half a bucket of water coming out of the her at the end and all of that was from the wet weather gear.'

‘They achieved 18.5kn as a maximum during that first night and they have all commented how much they liked the boat and that it punched well above its weight. It certainly was a sensational effort. They're outstanding sailors and a terrific bunch of guys. They have an amazing friendship and spirit with the way they compete. I've never seen anything like it before and more than likely, they'll have me cleaning the bilge for raving on!', Harvey said, with a lot of them looking on.

‘The Archambault 31 really is a delightful boat to sail. You're working on it all the time, but there's volume and room down below, so it's very comfortable.'

‘Crewmember Richard Howard was last to fly in. He's the last to arrive to our comfy accommodation, here on Hamilton Island. It's our first time here and we're really enjoying ourselves. What a wonderful place for a regatta, fantastic infrastructure and amenities available', Harvey commented.

Harvey's campaign started some 18months ago. He'd been sailing competitively in the early 90s, but had become disillusioned with scene and handicap systems. He's a convert and believer in IRC and loves how his Archambault 31 sails to or above her rating.

Harvey explains, ‘What got me going was that I saw Rod Jones' efforts in his previous Archambault and now he's got an Archambault 40 RC, which does really well. I met the French at the factory and had a sail in the A31. Mine is Hull#5.'

‘The rest is organisation. It's all about being prepared right and ready to go. Get a good crew and you're set. It's an affordable campaign too. I'd like to see a few more of you younger folk in the game, to get the average age down.'

Of the actual racing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Harvey commented, ‘We're doing IRC Passage now here at Audi Hamilton island Race Week, not Grand Prix.'

‘There are 13 boats in Division Two. The lighter stuff may suit us a better, but not too light. Less than 8kn won't be for us, the taller sticks will get the better squirts.' On Day One of racing, Aroona placed second and her rivals for the Audi IRC Australian Championship, also placed well. Canute, who is fourth overall, won her division, as did Loki, with Living Doll second in IRC Grand Prix. On Day 2 another second placing for Aroona places it well for the week ahead.

Of his Archambault 31, Harvey says ‘It's a terrific boat. You have to sail it, but at the same time it is comfortable and well fitted out, with 6'2' headroom! There's a certain quality about them that is just awesome.'

As for the big win, Harvey says, ‘don't even talk about it! I'm superstitious and long in the tooth.' He also fully appreciates the adage that in order to finish first, first you have to finish.

When pressed a little, he did offer that ‘Yes we'd be very excited. It's an opportunity to win a genuine National Championship, which is a strong motivation and we came here to win that National Championship. If he does win, Harvey believes that, ‘…the loudest cheer from my wife. She's been very patient. We own a Mariner 38 on Pittwater that we'd been using a lot before all this. When I announced that I'd purchased the Archambault to go back to racing, she declared, ‘He's gone mad!'

Arriving at the boat this Monday morning, Harvey noted that there was a new short course around the island, ‘as a result of the breeze – none! It's like a glass bowl.'

As for their second position in the IRC Passage Division Two, he said, ‘we haven't quite had the winds we need - not enough stick. It has been wonderful sailing on the part of the crew. I'm just so pleased with them, for despite the lack of power, they have managed to stay in touch with the others.'

Her championship rivals were also still plugging away, with Loki leading the Grand Prix Division and Canute in second place of IRC Passage Division One. As for the actual start of Monday's race, Harvey felt that it would be a ‘Drifter, starting with tide only and no assistance from Huey. Still, it is a beautiful day and what a great place to come and sail.'

One person very much watching the week unfold is Mark Rothfield, of Archambault's Australian importer, Newcastle Yachting. ‘It's a tough fleet. They have beaten Canute before, on Middle Harbour. The Archambault 31 does really well across a whole range of conditions. She did well in Melbourne, when it was light and handled everything with a certain aplomb, in some heavier stuff off Sydney.'

‘The archrival of Archambault, is Beneteau. It's sort of like a Holden v Ford thing. It was a shame there was no A 40RC in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race last year, yet Rod Jones' Alegria really shone all season. I like to think of it as they may be winning the sales department for now, but we're winning the sails side of it.'

‘A boat like Harvey's is truly affordable. It offers enormous bang for your buck and it shows that you can get on the podium when you don't have $2mil to spend. It's good for Club sailors to be able to match it with the pros. No one is paid on Aroona and it so good to see Harvey get this as a reward for all his efforts. Congratulations!' Mark finished with.

‘Our production boats have won two IRC Australian Championships. Rod Jones' A35, the Archambault 40RC got last year's title, all in very wide ranging conditions. The benefit of our boats is that there is no Achilles heel. Should Harvey get the Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0TFSI, then that'll be three out of four to Archambault.'

‘Archambault's are built with lower overall displacement than their opposition. For instance, the A31 is 3 tonne, a J97 4 tonnes and an Élan 310 5.5. The hull is Vacuum bagged and the deck is resin infused with a lead keel, so the whole vessel is inherently strong. For sure you can option them up, if you like, but the only carbon on Harvey's boat is the kite pole and he's also got timber below', Mark said.

In terms of other activities, Mark said, ‘we have three boats being shipped right now. There's another A31, an A35 and an A40RC, all sold and on their way to good homes.'

‘The latter vessel is going to WA and has Carbon everything. A Full epoxy hull and T keel, yet leather lounges for a comfort touch. She'll be campaigning on the East Coast next year. She's one up from Allegria and her name, is Aardvark.'

‘Recently, we sold the first M34 into Australia', an enthusiastic Mark proffered. ‘She's an absolute flyer and looking like being quicker than a Farr 40! They are also trailable and can go up to Category One. Having done well with cruiser/racers, Archambault is now also going to concentrate on pulling out the performance stops.'

When it is all laid out before you, three out of four really is not a fraction. It's simply one complete reason.