Breeze for Lindeman Island Race

by Rob Kothe on 23 Aug 2008 Solid south easterly breeze on a cool morning at Hamilton Island, ahead of the first race of the 25th Audi Hamilton Island Race Week regatta. There is light cirrus overhead. Winds are steady at 20 knots with gusts to 25 being reported from the Committee boat.

The 23 nautical mile Lindeman Island Race starts at 10:30am.

The race leaders, which should include Andrew Short's Club Marine Shockwave, the two Reichel Pugh 66’s Wild Oats X and Black Jack, should be back in Hamilton Island Harbour for the lunch. The back of the fleet will experience the toughest beat as the tide floods from the north in the middle of the day.

Race Director Denis Thompson says ‘We are expecting exciting racing this week; the 50 footer fleet is probably the most competitive in the world. '

Bob Oatley's Reichel Pugh X, the canting keel 66 footer is going to have strong competition this year. Skipper Mark Richards and his his top gun crew know their boat and know the waters and have an advantage over Peter Harburg's Black Jack crew, who are still on a steep learning curve. However Andrew Short's Club Marine Shockwave will no doubt roll them both.

The IRC Grand Prix divison is probably the best that has every been assembled and the even predicting the top ten would be a difficult task.

There was a general recall on the IRC fleet start, when the fleet restarted, there was an individual recall for Michael Hiatt's Cookson 50 Living Doll. Probably best away was Ray Robert's Quantum Racing. She is in top form having won Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Racing week only a few days ago.

An hour or more into the race, the breeze has dropped, now we have 15-20 knots. The leaders have rounded Spitfire Rock and are heading for Cole Island. As expected the leaders is Club Marine Shockwave, with Wild Oats X about half a mile back, jsut ahead of Black Jack. Stepehn David's Wild Joe is fourth.

IRC Grand Prix