Close mid-fleet racing in Sydney-Offshore-Newcastle

2:07 AM Sat 28 Mar 2009 GMT

'Tow Truck (Photo: Gary van der Shyk)' &copy

Newcastle's own Tow Truck may spring a surprise in the 213 nautical mile Audi Sydney-Newcastle race this afternoon. While the satellite data has her back in the field, her tracking unit is malfunctioning and she is in fact much further advanced in the fleet.

The IRC optimized Ed Psaltis' Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler, Bruce MacKay's Sayer designed 40 footer Wasabi and Anthony Patersons' 38 footer Tow Truck were locked within 100 metres of each other just an hour ago, as the three boats headed south to the Newcastle finishing line, still just south of Port Stephens.

Navigator Brett Filby reported it all concentration aboard the Kerr 38.

'It's been very very light conditions for us this morning and there is a bunch of us that have been sailing together for the last 24 hours, its all concentration here.

'This has been definitely a big boat race wind wise, but once again we are very pleased with our little green boat.'

'We broke steering cable yesterday afternoon and had to use the emergency tiller while we fitted a spectra cable replacement. Wasabi sailed through us when that happened but we caught them back up. Not sure who is towing who now.'

Tow Truck is the 2008 replacement of the giant killing Farr 30 Tow Truck that raced with attitude to win the 2003 and 2005 Mooloolaba race.

Ahead of this group is Paul Clitheroe's 47 footer Balance and Laurence Freemans Farr 50 Espresso Forte

Already finished are

1 Loki Finished 00:15:57:53 13.4
Stephen Ainsworth NSW 28 Mar, 3:57am

2 Andrew Short Marine - SW5 Finished 00:16:21:45 13.0
Andrew Short NSW 28 Mar, 4:21am

3 Ragamuffin Finished 00:19:22:34 11.0
Syd Fischer NSW 28 Mar, 7:22am

4 Wot Now Finished 00:20:20:08 10.5
Graeme Wood NSW 28 Mar, 8:20am

5 Shogun Finished 00:22:00:12 9.7
Rob Hanna VIC 28 Mar, 10:00am

6 Wot Yot Finished 00:22:37:00 9.4
Bill Sykes NSW 28 Mar, 10:37am

by Rob Kothe

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