Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

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2012
Wild Oats XI crew proud of new Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race record

Wild Oats XI crew proud of new Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race record

NEWS
29 Jul, 2012 01:21:00 PM

Wild Oats XI crew proud of new Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race record

Mark Richards and his Wild Oats XI crew were ferried ashore to the Southport Yacht Club today after breaking the record and claiming line honours in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race record this morning in the time of 22hrs 33min 46sec, after crossing the finish line at 11.03.46am.

While Bob Oatley’s canting keeled super maxi shaved 5hrs 31min 57sec of the 27.35.43 record set by Brindabella under original owner George Snow in 1999, Brindabella will still retain the record set by a conventionally ballasted yacht, unless Loki finishes before 4.35.43pm, while Wild Oats XI creates a new Open record.

“Great – fantastic,” Richards said after stepping ashore. “It’s been a longstanding record – we got amazing conditions. We hit 34 knots boat speed last night. It got light and funny towards the end, but we were expecting that – that’s life,” he said.

Richards had high praise for his crew of luminaries. “To take the boat out of the shed after it’s been sitting there since the Hobart race, is a great tribute to the crew and to the Oatley family,” said Richards of Bob Oatley and his family who are in Britain to watch Oatley’s granddaughters Kristy and Lyndal Oatley compete in Dressage competition in the Equestrian event.

Never one to second guess what will happen ahead of time in any yacht race, Richards is always conservative with words in the lead-ups, but happy to talk when it is all over: “Anything could have happened during the race; we could have hit objects, or done damage to the boat, or the wind could have died, so I never speak to soon,” he said.

Richards claimed: “It was a ride from heaven,” and that no one person worked harder or deserved more praise than the next. “It was teamwork,” he said, obviously proud of the crew.

Navigator, Adrienne Cahalan, agreed, saying, “Ricko (Richards), Stu Bannatyne (an internationally distinguished offshore sailor) and GT (Graeme Taylor) drove the boat as hard as they could – they’re all wonderful helmsmen – and Iain Murray did a fantastic job calling tactics - but really, every crew member was worth their weight – they’re all links in a chain.”

On their tactics, Cahalan, who among her personal records navigated Steve Fossett’s 125ft catamaran to a round the world speed record in 2004 and Wild Oats XI to its Rolex Sydney Hobart record in 2005, said: “It was a relatively straightforward race; it was a matter of choosing the right routing.

“The weather forecast was pretty close, but of course there were some subtleties. When the westerly died early this morning, we knew it was a fine line between choosing offshore or inshore. You have to be mindful of how you handle modern boats in big seas – you don’t go out to purposely break your boat - you pick the course that suits your boat.”

Of the record, the Sydney sailor said, “This forecast was so special – to get the right conditions – they only come once in a blue moon – and the boat and crew were so well prepared. It’s a real thrill to add this record to our Hobart, the Brisbane Keppel race and Cabbage Tree Island ones.”

Cahalan said it was be great to test their new light weather daggerboard towards the end of the race. “It was great to get the opportunity right at the end – and it went well,” she said.

All but five of the crew were planning to celebrate with lunch at the Southport Yacht Club, the remaining crew taking the boat onto Brisbane as they make ready to defend their Keppel Island record of last year.

George Snow was one of the first to call and congratulate Richards on his record. “Ricko’s a great bloke and they did a great job – my congratulations on a fine race,” he said.

Snow said it was the last of Brindabella’s major records to go. “I keep an eye on it each year. You know it will go – it’s just a matter of when – I’m quite philosophical about it,” he said.

Black Jack, Peter Harburg’s RP66 from Queensland is the next yacht due to finish, at approximately 2.50pm, followed by Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63 Loki at approximately 3.30pm. Following them across the line should be defending champion, Living Doll (Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 from Victoria) and Syd Fischer’s TP52, Ragamuffin from Sydney.

At the time of going to press, 2010 Audi Sydney Gold Coast winner, Loki, was leading the charge for the overall win from Black Jack and Ed Psaltis/Bob Thomas/Michael Bencsik owned Ker 40, AFR Midnight Rambler (NSW), which was designed for the weather the race has produced so far.

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