Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race - War Games takes early lead
by Peter Campbell on 27 Dec 2011
War Games winning the start this afternoon - Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race 2011 Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
War Games won the start of the the fifth Optus Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race (L2H). In a 12-15 knot seabreeze she maintained her lead down the Tamar from Helsal III, Mr Kite and Believe, although Helsal III, the biggest yacht in the fleet was expected to take the lead by the time they had reached Low Head.
When John Lawrence set sail today aboard War Games he was maintaining a tradition that has seen the race sponsor actually compete all but the first L2H.
Lawrence, Tasmanian State manager of Optus, is a regular sailor aboard Wayne Banks-Smith’s Farr 40 War Games, equal favourite for line honours with Andrew Hunn’s Cape 40 Mr Kite for the 285 nautical mile offshore race that got under way early this afternoon.
With Optus undertaking a major expansion of its network in Tasmania, Lawrence saw the L2H race as an ideal vehicle to promote the telecommunications company. And perhaps enjoy some sailing himself!
His skipper, Wayne Banks-Smith, agreed to take on the L2H with his fast Farr 40 War Games, a yacht that normally races harbour courses on Hobart’s River Derwent.
Although racing War Games for the first time in the L2H, Banks-Smith had sailed previously on the 50-footer Cyclone.
'It is much more interesting than most offshore yacht races, with the extra demands of sailing through the narrow Banks Strait from Bass Strait to the Tasman Sea, and then having to go through the Mercury Passage inside Maria Island on the way south,' he said today.
Since its inception four years ago, the sponsor of the L2H has sailed in the past three races.
Gavin Cowell, whose jewellery store, Sargisons, sponsored the L2H for three years, sailed aboard Jeff Cordell’s Mumm 36 Host Plus Executive, including when she won IRC and PHS handicap honours in the inaugural race in 2007.
Host Plus Executive has now competed in all five L2H races, with Cowell again sailing on the Mumm 36, considered one of the strong handicap contenders.
Andrea Oliver, whose furniture company Natuzzi was co-sponsor of the 2010 L2H, sailed that year as crew aboard Anthony Ellis’ Moonshadow.
She is not competing this year, but is one of the strong band of volunteers from the Tamar Yacht Club in Launceston and the Derwent Sailing Squadron in Hobart assisting in running this popular race.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/92286
