Launceston to Hobart fleet making good progress despite light winds

9:25 PM Sun 27 Dec 2009 GMT

'Andrew Hunn’s Mr Kite quickly taking the lead and winning the race to Low Head from Gary Smith’s The Fork in the Road - Sargisons Launceston to Hobart Race' Peter Campbell &copy

Despite light coastal winds overnight, the fleet in the 285 nautical mile Sargisons Launceston to Hobart (L2H) ocean race is making good progress down the Tasmanian East Coast.

At 5.30am today the leading yachts were abeam of St Helens, sailing under spinnakers in a 9-10 knot west-north-westerly breeze, but the tailenders were enjoying 14 knots off Eddystone Point and also spinnaker run down the coast.

According the Derwent Sailing Squadron's tracking system, www.oceanTrack.com.au , the leading yacht is 42 South, Mark Ballard's Stomcraft 38 which is revelling in the light winds. On the rhumbline (direct) course to Hobart, she had 163 nautical to sail to the finish in Hobart at that stage.

42 South was due east of St Helens Point, with The Fork in the Road, Gary Smith's 45-footer, further to sea and four miles astern of 42 South, while Mr Kite, the Cape 40 skippered by Andrew Hunn, was another three miles astern.

At the tailend of the fleet, between Swan Island and Eddystone Point and still with more than190 nautical miles to sail, were Not Negotiable, Pyxis and Kamehameha, although they were actually sailing faster than the leaders further down the coast.

In the prevailing, and forecast light winds for today and tonight, the leaders are not expected to reach the River Derwent and the finish until the early hours of tomorrow morning.

by Peter Campbell

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