Maria Island Yacht Race preview

by Peter Campbell on 18 Nov 2010 Three of Tasmania’s five yachts entered in this year’s Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, plus major line honours and handicap contenders for the Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race, will contest the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s Tasports Maria Island Yacht Race this weekend.

The 63rd edition of the 190 nautical mile race around the rugged south-east coast of Tasmania, a qualifying race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart and the Sargisons & Natuzzi Launceston to Hobart races in late December, will start from Castray Esplanade at 7pm this evening (Friday) with a fleet of 23 ocean racing yachts competing.

The three Sydney Hobart entrants competing are Murray Wilkes’ Bavaria 39c Sassy, Todd Leary’s Jones 39 She’s the Culprit and Tony Lyall’s Elliott 11 Valheru.

For Leary this is a significant return to long ocean racing and the Sydney Hobart following the heart-breaking collision that forced the retirement of She’s the Culprit soon after the start last year’s race. Valheru was also in a similar incident at the start of the 2002 race.

Heading the fleet as likely line honours contenders for the Launceston to Hobart (L2H) race are the Bakewell-White 45 The Fork in the Road, skippered by Gary Smith, and Andrew Hunn’s Cape 40 Mr Kite. These two boats fought out line honours in both the Maria Island and L2H races last summer, with Mr Kite getting the gun in both races.

An added contender for line honours in the Maria Island Race will be the smaller but exceptionally fast Melges 32 2Unlimited, skippered by Greg Prescott.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has beefed up safety requirements for the Maria Island Race as a result of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s report on the tragic Flinders Islet incident last year.

The RYCT has included special requirements on crew eligibility, including a rule that at least 50% of the total crew of each boat must have a valid Yachting Australia Safety and Sea Survival certificate. However, because of the short notice, yachts have been able to apply for exemption if they can provide the Sailing Committee with satisfactory evidence of ocean racing experience.

A new mandatory YA safety rule applicable for the Maria Island and subsequent ocean races is that crew on deck between sunset and sunrise must wear a personal floatation jacket and also during daylight hours in heavy weather.

All yachts in the fleet will be fitted with tracker units and their progress can be followed by on the following web site http://oceantracker.net/tracker/showboats.php?event=maria2010