Brisbane to Gladstone race crews prepare for spinnaker start

11:31 PM Wed 8 Apr 2009 GMT

Brisbane's Bramble Bay will be transformed into a spectacular scene of colour when the 61st Brisbane to Gladstone Race fleet set their spinnakers in a moderating South East wind.

A strong wind warning remains current for coastal waters between St Lawrence and Double Island Point as the ridge controlled by the slow moving high pressure system in the Tasman Sea directs gusty wind and rain showers onto the South Queensland coast and Moreton Bay.

Weather forecasters have confidently predicted a softening breeze with the fleet unlikely to experience any mind blowing broaches or spinnaker busting gusts during the 308 n/ml race which officially starts at 11 am tomorrow (Good Friday).

However all crews are advised that there is the possibility to expect local squalls and time consuming broaches in a race which is notorious for producing rogue squalls and foam crested waves on various parts of the course including Breaksea Spit and Lady Elliot Island.

The South East breeze which kept pumping overnight between 25 to 34 knots at Cape Moreton is expected to favour the Peter Harburg owned and Mark Bradford skippered Black Jack to set the pace for line honours ahead of Graeme Wood's Wot Now and the match racing Cookson sloops Quantum Racing (Ray Roberts) and Shogun (Robert Hanna).

While an interesting battle of intense offshore racing strategy will unfold to decide the overall fastest on corrected handicap between the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart bronze medallist Wot Now the defending champion Quantum Racing and Bill Wild's speed sailing Brisbane sloop Wedgetail.

The Wedgetail crew hopes to find a speed gain of 12 seconds per mile to allow Bill Wild a chance to improve on his second to Quantum Racing last year.

Wedgetail has the distinction as Australia's fastest 12.9 m racing yacht and the spinnaker sailing conditions are expected to favour her to fast track the wakes of Black Jack, Quantum Racing, Shogun and Wot Now in what is promising to become an interesting and close contest to win on corrected handicap.

Racing between the front runners will be fast but not fast enough to challenge the race record of 20 hours 24 minutes 50 seconds set in 2004 when Grant Wharington's Skandia Wild Thing secured a close line honours win over the Sean Langman skippered AAPT.

by Ian Grant

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