Heemskirk Tassie Trio - Hot contest for the Red Wine Cup

by John Curnow on 28 Dec 2010 Heemskirk Consolidated Tassie Trio. Latest update from the Eastcoaster and Westcoaster races.

Peter Blake, the Skipper of Goldfinger has plenty of motivation to try and get to Hobart first.

In 2003, he and son Simon completed the 5500nm Melbourne to Oaska race together. In 2010, Peter is driving his Farr 52 Goldfinger down past Flinders Island in the Melbourne to Hobart Eastcoaster, whilst Simon is aboard the Westcoaster leader, Gusto, who are just making it past Cape Grim on Tasmania's North West coast.

Only 20nm separates the two races. The Westcoaster, first run in 1972 is 440nm and is the only race at Christmas time to go into the Southern Ocean. The Eastcoaster was started in 2008, as a result of the success of the Melbourne to Launceston centennary event in 2007, where over 100 boats went to Launceston first, before the remainder of the fleet completed the journey to Hobart via the East coast. It was that popular that it is now a race in it's own.

Peter is also keen to not only win the first in to Hobart, but to take the Eastcoaster record with him as well. Presently, it stands at 2:18:32:54, so they need to be in by tomorrow morning to have a go at that. They are 50% of the way through their journey, however, and travelling at around 10 knots, with the breeze predicted to go around to the Nor'west and even Nor'east as the day progresses.

What they do not want is for the breeze to abate at all. The reason is that Gusto has only completed around 30% of her allotted 440nm and been doing barely five knots in very tough conditions and currents. As they made it around the bottom of King Island and thence past Cape Grim, they have sped up to around 10 knots themselves, but they have around 80nm to catch up!'

Icefire and Spirit of Downunder are a bit further behind, still to get around Hunter Island. Carpe Diem from the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron is also right there with them.

Back over on the Eastcoaster, Goldfinger has XLR8 and Veloce making sure they are right there to pounce and take the lead, should she makes any mistakes.

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