8:19 AM Tue 29 Dec 2009 GMT
|
|
'Whistler beating down the Tamar River after the start of the Sargisons Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race from Beauty Point today. In the crew are 13-year-old Lucy Rees and 14-year-old Zoe Bak. - Sargisons Launceston to Hobart Race'
Peter Campbell ©
|
Launceston yacht Blue Sky, skippered by Richard Fisher, the immediate past commodore of the Tamar Yacht Club, this evening looks strongly placed to be the Overall winner of the Sargisons Jewellers Launceston to Hobart Race.
Hobart entry Whistler, skippered by David Rees from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, heads the provisional results for the AMS and IRC handicap category. Her crew included two young teenage girls in their first long ocean race.
Derwent Sailing Club sailing manager Tony Nicholas confirmed the likely handicap results after assessing the corrected time results of the 10 yacht fleet that had finished the 285 nautical mile race by 5.00pm today and after reviewing the positions of yachts still at sea.
'I can't see any major changes in the top three in the PHS category for the overall winner, nor in the AMS and IRC rating divisions.the rest of the fleet are still a long way from home,' Nicholas said.
Provisional results for the Overall PHS category show Blue Sky, a Beneteau 40.7 in first place ahead of Whistler, a Dovell 38 and 42 South, Mark Ballard's Stompcraft 38 which earlier in the day had finished a close third in fleet astern of Andrew Hunn's state-of-the-art Cape 40, Mr Kite, and Gary Smith and Geoff White's powerful Bakewell-White 45, The Fork in the Road.
Under the new AMS handicap category, which attracted entries from 18 yachts, Whistler is provisionally first ahead of Blue Sky and Dianne Barkas' Sydney 38 Sullivans Cove Whisky. Only five boats nominated for the IRC handicap category with Whistler again the number one boat ahead of Sullivans Cove Whisky and The Fork in the Road.
Final handicap results are expected to be confirmed by mid-morning tomorrow, with the added interest that sponsors, Sargisons Jewellers, have donated a diamond pendant for the first woman to finish the race and for the first woman on a boat in the PHS handicap category.
Earlier in the day champion Hobart yachtsman Andrew Hunn turned on a brilliant display of tactical sailing and helmsmanship to take line honours with his state-of-the-art 40-footer Mr Kite.
The victory was a fitting reward for the time and effort that Hunn and his crew have put into overcoming the many advanced technical problems that have plagued the Cape 40 since she was launched two seasons ago.
However, line honours and PHS handicap wins in the Maria Island Race, set the pattern for an outstanding effort in the 285 nautical mile L2H, Tasmania's newest and fastest growing ocean race with 35 entries this year.
In a race of fluctuating winds and fortunes, Mr Kite led the fleet to sea from the Tamar River on Sunday then lost and regained the lead several times to rivals The Fork in the Road, Gary Smith and Geoff White's Bakewell-White 45 and Mark Ballard's radical Stompcraft 38, 42 South as the fleet sailed down the Tasmanian East Coast.
Today, after being virtually alongside 42 South in Storm Bay, Mr Kite was the first to pick up the early morning northerly and accelerated away from her rivals as she headed for the Iron Pot, the entrance to the River Derwent.
She sailed out of Storm Bay just as the forecast south-westerly front brought 25-35 knot winds sweeping across the bay, although she had a reef in her mainsail until near the finish.
Hobart naval architect Fred Barratt, who supervised changes to Mr Kite before this season and also crewed on the boat, described the L2H as 'frustrating.with a bit of everything.'
by Peter Campbell
|
Sailing
