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Ragamuffin Leads Chase for Overall Honours in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

Ragamuffin Leads Chase for Overall Honours in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

NEWS
29 Jul, 2012 08:00:00 AM

Ragamuffin Leads Chase for Overall Honours in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin was this morning leading the race for overall honours in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 384 nautical mile Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, with Pendragon, Living Doll and Loki stacking up behind her.

Among Fischer’s crew is his navigator of 40 years, Tony Ellis, Olympian Matt Hayes and renowned downwind sailor, David Witt. All are pushing the TP52 hard, as Fischer stated they would before the race start on Sydney Harbour yesterday at 1.00pm.

At this stage, Wild Oats XI’s longed-for trifecta of record, line honours and overall win is not a reality, as the Mark Richard’s boat is currently 13th overall, but as history has shown, that could change at the whim of the weather.

This morning, Ragamuffin was sailing 15 nautical miles east of Solitary Island with 129nm to make the finish at Main Beach off Southport. Her estimated time of arrival is 4.56pm – 21 minutes outside of Brindabella’s record time.

Loki is looking good to finish inside the record, Michael Bellingham reporting from the RP63 this morning: “We should finish around 3.00pm (one and a half hours quicker than the record). “A little bit of a wet evening. We had a long period from around just before the sked until around 3.00am when the wind was a solid 30 knots from around 320-330 degrees.

“As we have come inshore, the sea is flatter and things are settling down after a hectic few hours. The prediction is for easing breeze and more southerly winds to the finish - I think the race record is in sight for Oats.”

At 6.55am this morning, Bellingham said: “Beautiful morning; we’re trucking along 9 miles behind Black Jack; Ragamuffin and ‘The Doll’ (Living Doll) are behind us. I think our strategy of last night has been OK; we stayed a little wide and tried to go fast. It was exciting - and at times a little wild.”

Michael Hiatt and his Living Doll crew will be hoping to make up some time and successfully defend their title of last year, when Hiatt from Victoria celebrated victory a day after his 59th birthday on August 1. A win this year would be a great 60th birthday present for the owner of the Living Doll clothing label.

Hiatt said this morning: “All well after a fast and furious night with plenty of sail changes. Those inshore have a good jump on the boats that went well offshore. There should be more pressure offshore this morning, so will be interesting to see if they can make up the deficit.”

Last year, Loki, which won the Audi Sydney Gold Coast in 2010, was second, with Ragamuffin third –same three boats this time, just a different order.

Aboard Paul Clitheroe’s Balance, and in 25th place overall this morning at 7.15am, Andrew Cribb said: “We’re having a ball. It was very, very cold last night – and no electric blanket on the rail. We’re rock hopping 40 miles south of Smoky Cape. We’ve held pressure – it went light for a while – but it’s kicked back in.”

Cribb said a bit of northerly had crept into the westerlies, “And that’s helped us inside boats. We’re now two-sail reaching in 15-25 knots. Last night the wind got up to 30 knots. We’d just blown up one kite and when we saw 30 hit the dial, we decided against putting up a second kite.

“Exile (Rob Reynolds’ DK46) is nearby us - which we’re happy about – they’re in our division and we’re leading them on handicap. We got back into the race very nicely after our problems yesterday,” he said.

Their ‘problems’ were reported with humour by the Beneteau 45’s owner, Clitheroe, last night: “In a typically interesting start, most of the fleet decided to nail the pin end or die trying. Seeing imminent carnage at the pin, and an empty start line towards the boat end, we trundled up towards the start boat and surprised ourselves with a clear start in clear air.

“But on Balance we have perfected the art of finding trouble (on and off the boat) - and sure enough - the faster boats were with us at the turn (at North Head) and kite drop at the Heads.

“In the squeeze, we touched our kite on one of our competitors. This necessitated a 720 degree penalty turn inside the Harbour, but a boat behind us was of the view that we caused them to change course during our 720. Having a nice day out, we were disinclined to argue, so proceeded to again get a scenic view of all 360 degrees of the Harbour with another 720.

“The crew were most impressed, as no one could recall so many 360 degree turns in rapid succession; 1440 degrees in total. Giddy with spinning around in circles, we headed off once again.

“The next tactical debate was which members of the brains trust at the back of the boat caused that little fiasco, and we concluded that the tactician and skipper could split the ‘boat idiot’ award and both now have to buy rum for the rest of the crew.

“Anyway, despite predictions of significant breeze, it’s a marvellous evening out at sea and Balance is cruising along with a lot of company at around 9 to 10 knots under kite in around 15 to 18 knots of breeze. How else would you spend a Saturday night?”

Cribb called back at 8.15am, saying: “We’re just north of Port Macquarie. The sun’s out; we’ve just popped a spinnaker and are doing approx. 10 knots – and we just had our first whale sighting – amazing!”

At 8.25am, Wild Oats XI’s navigator Adrienne Cahalan confirmed that 10.40am is realistic for their finish: “Yes, it will be close to that time, depending on what happens as we approach Southport. Not much wind at the Gold Coast Seaway buoy at the moment, but we are in plenty of wind here offshore at Byron Bay.”

Earlier this morning, Cahalan had said: “The wind is easing after a very rough and busy night under spinnaker in 25-30 knot winds. The road ahead has some potholes!”

Currently Brand X, Greg Brand’s Hick 35, is last on line and expected into Southport at 6.00pm tomorrow night.

Simon Kurt’s pre-race prediction of last place for his classic S&S 47, Love & War, has proved incorrect to-date. The three-time Hobart winner is 54th from 59th on line.

Follow the race action on http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au or on Twitter http://twitter.com/asgcyr