Tough race likely in Tasmania's Betsey Island Race

7:05 AM Fri 11 Dec 2009 GMT

'Betsey Island' Peter Campbell &copy Click Here to view large photo

The Derwent Sailing Squadron's Combined Club's Betsey Island Race tomorrow could be a tough one for the expected fleet of around 50 yachts, with west to south-westerly winds of up to 25 knots, gusting to 30 knots at times is forecast for Saturday

The fleet, in four divisions, will start between 9.25 and 9.45am from a line off Castray Esplanade, taking the yachts on a 35 nautical mile course down the River Derwent, past the Iron Pot into Storm Bay and across to Betsey Island and return. The winds should give them a fast and spectacular ride down river and across to Betsey Island, but a tough beat to windward back into the river.

Missing from the fleet will be two of Tasmania's leading entrants in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Sally Rattle's Archambault 35 Archie and David Bean's Beneteau 44.7 Auch, which are due to set sail on their delivery voyages north.

Nevertheless, the Betsey Island Race, the final Pennant Race before Christmas, has attracted a top quality fleet, including several prominent contenders for the Sargisons Launceston to Hobart Race which starts from Beauty Point on 27 December.

Gary Smith's Bakewell-White 45 Marineline/Focal will have strong competition on the downwind dash to Betsey Island and return from the two radical 40-footers, Mark Ballard's 42 South, a Stomp 40, and Andrew Hunn's Mr Kite, a Cape 40, and this could give a strong indication of the line honours favourite for the L2H race.

Other L2H entrants racing to Betsey Island tomorrow include David Taylor's modified Sydney 36, Pisces, Jeff Cordell's Mumm 36 Host Plus Executive, Anthony Ellis' Lotus 10.6, Moonshadow, and Malcolm Cooper's Kaiulani, a Lovell 30. Also in the Betsey Island Race fleet are the Farr 40s, War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) and Euro Central (Hughie Lewis).

by Peter Campbell