Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race preview
by Peter Campbell on 27 Dec 2010
Stephen McElwee and some of his crew of Lawless, one of the smallest boats in the Launceston to Hobart Race Andrea Francolini Photography
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Tamar River yachts are set to again make a strong bid for top line and handicap honours in the Sargisons Jewellers & Natuzzi Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race that starts from Beauty Point today.
Six of the 33 entries are from the Tamar Yacht Club and the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club, including last year’s winner Richard Fisher with his brand new Beneteau 45 Believe-Sundance Marine, from the Tamar Yacht Club.
The 285 nautical mile race starts off Inspection Head wharf at 3pm with fresh west to south-westerly winds expected to give the fleet a quick dash to Low Head, then an exciting spinnaker ride up the north-east coast to the notorious Banks Strait.
By race start time, the breeze is expected to have eased to less than 20 knots, but rough seas will still be running in Bass Strait.
Although Richard Fisher will not be able to repeat his overall win of last year because his new yacht arrived too late to receive an AMS rating (handicap) but instead will be competing in the PHS handicap division. 'I’m confident we will be up among the front runners and we could do well under a PHS division,' he said last night.
Another strong contender for line honours in Andrew Jones’ Inglis 37 Advantedge while Nick Edmunds is returning to the race in his veteran Radford 14 Haphazard.
However, the leading line honours contenders are the Hobart yachts Mr Kite, Andrew Hunn’s Cape/Barrett 40 which took line honours last year, Greg Prescott’s Melges 32 2 Unlimited, and Justin Wells Ker 11.3 Dump Truck.
Making its L2H debut after a couple of impressive Sydney Hobart races is David Stephenson’s custom-designed Frers 39 Matangi from the Tamar Yacht Club.
At the smaller end of the Tamar River contingent is Lawless, Stephen McElwee’s 31-footer which has a second overall in a Sydney Hobart race to her credit.
McElwee, a three-times Australian champion in the Mirror dinghy class, has owned Lawless for five years and has contested a Sydney Hobart, but this is his first L2H with the boat.
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