Gosford to Lord Howe Island race - Queensland yacht leads fleet

12:22 AM Sun 1 Nov 2009 GMT

'Ocean Affinity - 2009 Hempel Paints Gosford to Lord Howe Race start' Jeremy Hancock

Queensland yacht Ocean Affinity is leading the fleet and placed first on progressive IRC handicap position after the first night at sea in the Hempel Paints 36th Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race.

At this morning's 07:05 hours position report from the 14 boat fleet, the powerful Marten 49, skippered by Stewart Lewis from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, had sailed 133 nautical miles since the start from Broken Bay at 13:00 hours yesterday.

She was 12.6 nautical miles ahead of second placed AFR Midnight Rambler, the modified Farr 40 owned by past winners Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas, while five miles astern came the Beneteau 44.7 Kioni, skippered by Nick Athineos.

Southern Cross, the Jutson 45 skippered by 82-year-old Bill Gilbert was in fourth place in fleet, just ahead of the MBD 36 Amante (Dennis Cooper).

On IRC progressive handicap positions, Ocean Affinity held a narrow lead from Amante and AFR Midnight Rambler as the fleet continued to sail to windward in north-easterly winds.

In the PHS division, Kioni was placed at the top of the leader board, ahead of the veteran Cole 43 Polaris of Belmont, skippered by Gosford Sailing Club member Chris Dawe and Bill Gilbert's Southern Cross.

The othe GSC entrant in the race, Bill Koppe Pacha was eighth in the fleet and in sixth place in the IRC division on handicap.

by Peter Campbell