Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race preview

by Jennifer Crooks on 21 May 2012 The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2012 gets underway on Saturday 28th July off Sydney Harbour at 1pm. Entries for the 27th edition of the race have been open for just over one month and already 28 owners have signed on for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s annual winter pilgrimage north.

One of the ‘youngest’ yachts in the fleet for the first race of the CYCA’s Blue Water Point Score is Brannew, Chris Bran’s Beneteau First 40. Launched in February, Brannew will make her offshore racing debut in the 384 nautical mile race.

Using the Audi Winter Series for crew training and to explore the inner workings of the new boat, Bran is feeling confident in his purchase. 'Based on her performance to-date, which has been very encouraging, we expect her to be reasonably competitive, subject to the conditions during the race,' he said.

'The Beneteau 40s’ Achilles heel is wind below 14 knots, so we’re hoping for 14 plus' he said.

'My sail maker, Ian Short of Ian Short Sails, offered to join me to help campaign the boat, bringing with him his extensive knowledge in producing optimised sails for Beneteau yachts.

'Ian's long term crew have also joined the boat, along with a few of my own long term crew from my previous boat. We’re having a great time in the Audi Winter Series and are looking forward to campaigning the boat right through to Hobart,' Bran confirmed.

At the other end of the scale is golden oldie, Love and War, Simon Kurt’s famous Sparkman and Stephens 47, launched in 1973 for his late father Peter. The three-time Hobart overall winner warmed up by taking line honours in the Audi Winter Series Great Veterans Race three weeks ago and is still competitive.

Other yachts on the entry list include Victorians Bruce Taylor and his Caprice 40, Chutzpah, Robert Date’s RP52 Scarlet Runner and Calm, the TP52 owned by Jason Van der Slot and John Williams.

Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63 Loki, a former overall winner of the race and Audi IRC Australian Champion of 2010, is also entered, and if the conditions are right, she is looking good for another overall win.

The people’s maxi, Brindabella, still holds the 13 year-old race record of 27 hours, 35 minutes and three seconds. Jim Cooney and his crew will take her north once again, hoping that the 19 year-old’s record stays safe for another year.

Tony Horkings’ Lee-Way/Ensign Racing is currently the sole representative from Queensland, sailing under the burgee of Southport Yacht Club. Horkings is hoping his 20 year old Kaufman designed Northshore 37 will do well in the PHS Division.

'We’re hoping for a good result for this older boat. She still manages to sail excellently, which justifies what a great design these boats are,' says Horkings, whose boat won IRC Division 4 in the 2008 race under her previous owner.

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race course takes the fleet down the Harbour and out through Sydney Heads, before turning left towards the finish line off Main Beach at Southport, on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Entry can be completed online until 1700 hours on Friday 15 July by logging on here.

Event website