CYCA Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Yacht Race underway
by Crosbie Lorimer 2 Dec 2017 22:05 NZDT
2 December 2017
Wots Next, Arch Rival and Dare Devil - Bird Island Race 2017 © Crosbie Lorimer
A fleet of 31 yachts set off on Saturday morning from Sydney Harbour on the annual race to Bird Island off NSW's central coast and back to Sydney. Ranging from Peter Harburg's 100 foot supermaxi Black Jack 100 to Shane Kearns' diminutive but highly successful Komatsu Azzurro, every one of the starters is also an entrant in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, now little more than three weeks away.
Black Jack 100, with a single reef in her mainsail, led the fleet past North Head and out of the harbour in an ideal 18-20 knot nor'easter and into a rolling swell offshore as they headed north.
A group of 45-50 footers led by Matt Allen's new TP52 Ichi Ban and Sam Haynes' Celestial rounded North Head next, with Another Concubine, Koa, Patrice and Indian close behind. Matt Brooks' beautiful Yawl Dorade was close to the rear of the fleet but as ever, is a serious threat for an overall handicap win.
By mid-afternoon Black Jack 100 had rounded Bird Island and was heading south, but it will be a long day for many of the smaller yachts as steady rain has begun to cover the course and is forecast to get heavier as the day wears on.