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Sydney Hobart - Hopes fade for Chutzpah

by Rob Kothe on 29 Dec 2007
Chutzpah downwind Rolex/Daniel Forster http://www.regattanews.com
Bruce Taylor’s Reichel Pugh 40 Chutzpah last night looked like a Hobart winner if only she had breeze as she rounded Tasman Island, across Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, in the early morning.

If that was to happen it needed some extra luck – the early arrival of today's predicted southerly front. No such luck for the 26 Sydney to Hobart veteran.

Chutzpah, after a booming run across Bass Strait and down the Tasmania coast rounded Tasman Island an hour ago in a 12 knot breeze, which has begun to drop.


She is now three nautical miles south east of the towering columns of Cape Raoul, just 34 nautical miles from the Hobart finish line. She has to finish by 8:26am to beat Roger Sturgeon’s STP Rosebud on overall handicap and that is just not going to happen.

Taylor already has seven divisional wins and numerous thirds and seconds in this race to his credit and he will win Division C, but not the Tattersall’s Cup. Right now Rosebud is the boat to beat with Syd Fischer’s TP52 Ragamuffin second and Chutzpah looking like she will be third.

IRC Overall
1 Rosebud B Finished   02:06:02:02   11.6   1.509   03:09:32:14   7.7   
Roger Sturgeon USA    28 Dec, 7:02pm  
2 Ragamuffin B Finished   02:14:19:41   10.1   1.33   03:10:53:47   7.6   
Syd Fischer (37) NSW    29 Dec, 3:19am  
3 Chutzpah C 43° 17' S  147° 51' E  34.5   6.5   236   02:20:47:16   9.1   1.209   03:11:09:52   7.6   
Bruce Taylor (26) VIC 3nm SE of Cape Raoul   29 Dec, 9:47am  
     Time to Win  02:19:26:29   29 Dec, 8:26am
4 Quantum Racing A Finished   02:14:12:47   10.1   1.342   03:11:29:24   7.5   
Ray Roberts (16) NSW    29 Dec, 3:12am  
5 Zephyr E 40° 51' S  149° 06' E  191.7   7.6   196   03:15:28:20   7.2   0.959   03:11:53:09   7.5   
James Connell (1) NSW 35nm E of Eddystone Pt   30 Dec, 4:28am  
     Time to Win  03:13:01:22   30 Dec, 2:01am
6 Ichi Ban  A Finished   02:05:01:21   11.8   1.601   03:12:53:20   7.4   
Matt Allen (18) NSW    28 Dec, 6:01pm  
7 City Index Leopard A Finished   01:21:51:55   13.7   1.855   03:13:04:48   7.4   
Mike Slade (2) UK    28 Dec, 10:51am  
8 Yendys B Finished   02:14:12:49   10.1   1.377   03:13:40:05   7.3   
Geoff Ross ( 12) NSW    29 Dec, 3:12am  
9 Wedgetail C 42° 44' S  148° 26' E  76.7   14.6   172   02:23:21:46   8.8   1.202   03:13:46:41   7.3   Deduced Reckoning
Bill Wild (3) QLD 13nm E of Maria Island   29 Dec, 12:21pm  
     Time to Win  02:19:50:03   29 Dec, 8:50am
10 Wild Oats XI A Finished   01:21:24:32   13.8   1.903   03:14:24:47   7.3   
Mark Richards (3) NSW    28 Dec, 10:24am  
11 Morna E 40° 30' S  149° 06' E  212.2   7.6   184   03:19:13:33   6.9   0.953   03:14:56:18   7.2   
Greg Zyner NSW 45nm NE of Eddystone Pt   30 Dec, 8:13am  
     Time to Win  03:13:33:29   30 Dec, 2:33am
12 Wot Yot B 42° 53' S  147° 20' E  0.2   0.0   192   02:17:11:27   9.6   1.34   03:15:21:21   7.2   
Graeme Wood (2) NSW 0nm N of Rolex Sydney Hobart Finish   29 Dec, 6:11am  
13 AFR Midnight Rambler D 42° 09' S  148° 43' E  113.3   5.9   200   03:03:02:50   8.4   1.167   03:15:34:48   7.2   
Ed Psaltis (26) NSW 20nm NE of Cape Sonnerat   29 Dec, 4:02pm  
     Time to Win  02:21:52:07   29 Dec, 10:52am
14 Spirit of Koomooloo  E 41° 02' S  149° 12' E  183.0   8.6   196   03:13:33:02   7.3   1.024   03:15:36:14   7.2   Deduced Reckoning
Mike Freebairn (4) QLD 39nm E of Eddystone Pt   30 Dec, 2:33am  
     Time to Win  03:07:37:33   29 Dec, 8:37pm
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