Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Race - Chum goes to Hobart

8:53 AM Mon 27 Jul 2009 GMT

'Tow Truck - Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race' Andrea Francolini &copy

Brett Filby the navigator on the Newcastle Flyer, the Kerr 38 Tow Truck, owned and crewed by the same group of sailors that campaigned the Mumm 30 Tow Truck so successfully reports vividly on the race within a race - IRC Division 2 in the 384 nautical mile Sydney to Southport (Gold Coast race)

Just 50 miles from the finish its game on with Anthony Patterson's Tow Truck now leading the division on handicap from 1998 Hobart race winner Ed Psaltis and set to take the lead on the water.

Filby commented this afternoon

'Our key rival is Ed Psaltis and his Farr 40 Midnight Rambler, our aim on this Kerr 38 is to beat Ed, if we do that we know we are going OK.

'We've being hanging wide, last night we were 50 miles offshore and we found plenty of pressure. It was like going to Hobart, just as cold and quite a seaway

'We discovered this boat is as wet as the Mumm 30 Tow Truck and there is more space for the water below decks. We are pushing hard and we think we can nail Ed.

'Last time we looked he was about three miles ahead, but we've gybed back out to sea and we reckon next time we come back in we'll be in front.

'Meanwhile it's all action here. Patto is cooking this trip, stew out of a can.

'It looks like Chum* and last night when we were in a solid seaway, 50 miles offshore, two reefs, wind against tide, some of the crew played out a movie called Chum goes to Hobart, sadly it was a re-run, if you get my drift.'

* Chum is a well known brand of dog food

by Rob Kothe www.sail-world.com