Launceston to Hobart - Mr Kite on track for second line honours

by Peter Campbell on 28 Dec 2010 Launceston to Hobart - Champion Hobart yachtsman Andrew Hunn is on line to score his second successive line honours victory in the 285 nautical mile Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race with his state-of-the-art ocean racer Mr Kite.

Mr Kite yesterday afternoon opened up its lead on the fleet, dashing down the east coast under spinnaker at speeds of 12 knots, and is expected to cross the line off Hobart’s Castray Esplanade tomorrow morning.

The exact time she finishes will hinge on overnight breezes on Tasmania’s East Coast, in Storm Bay and the River Derwent, so it could be anywhere between sunrise and mid-morning.

Early this evening the wind in the Derwent was close to ‘shutting down’ for the night, but there may be more breeze off the coast.

The 31 yachts still racing from Launceston to Hobart enjoyed a fast spinnaker run down the East Coast as a north-easterly breeze filled in at 18 knots, with fleet closing up on the leaders but not sufficient to overtake Mr Kite, 2 Unlimited and Dump Truck at the forefront.

Mr Kite at that stage had opened up a five nautical mile lead from Greg Prescott’s 2 Unlimited as the two leaders sailed under shy spinnakers into the coast for the mandatory course through the Mercury Passage between Maria Island and the mainland.

Dump Truck, skippered by Justin Wells, was four miles further astern with a gap of nine miles to the leading boat in the main group, Andrew Jones’s Advantedge from the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club.

The north-easter has changed projected handicap results with Rob and Sally Smith’s Helsal V last night heading both the AMS and PHS handicap categories and Andrew Sutherland’s Silver Mist ranked first on IRC handicaps.

Derwent Sailing Squadron’s computer placed Helsal V leading the AMS division from Lock on Wood, skippered by club Commodore Peter Geeves, and Malcolm Cooper’s Kaiulani. Under PHS handicaps Helsal V, a Beneteau 40.7, also leads from on Lock on Wood and Kaiulani.

Leading boat in projected IRC results is Andrew Sutherland’s Silver Mist from Intrigue, skippered by David Calvert, and Dump Truck, skippered by Justin Wells.

Launceston to Hobart race yacht Website