Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

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2012
Stage Set for Wild Oats XI Record Breaking Run in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

Stage Set for Wild Oats XI Record Breaking Run in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

NEWS
26 Jul, 2012 07:42:00 PM

Stage Set for Wild Oats XI Record Breaking Run in Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race

Brindabella’s 13 year old Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race record of 27 hours 35 minutes 43 seconds, looks set to go after Michael Logan from the Bureau of Meteorology delivered the weather forecast to 140 competitors at the official race briefing, conducted this evening at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the race organiser.

Brindabella’s 13 year old Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race record of 27 hours 35 minutes 43 seconds, looks set to go after Michael Logan from the Bureau of Meteorology delivered the weather forecast to 140 competitors at the official race briefing, conducted this evening at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the race organiser.

On her third attempt, the scene is finally set for Bob Oatley’s super maxi Wild Oats XI to take the record which was set by a conventionally ballasted yacht in 1999. “The conditions are looking good for record breaking,” Adrienne Cahalan, navigator on Wild Oats XI confirmed this evening. “Based on the current modelling, we are predicting a race time of 22 to 24 hours.

“It’ll be quite a stressful ride at high speeds. We’ve also undergone some modifications which are relatively untested, but we’ve got one of the best skippers in the business, Mark Richards, who’s one of the best downhill helmsman around.

“We haven’t had a forecast like this for a while; it’ll be really nice to set sail with such a favourable one. Our challenge will be to keep the boat together and avoid the whales,” added Cahalan after all yacht representatives were warned there were many whales and their calves heading north along the NSW and Queensland coast at present.

Logan, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Manager NSW Severe Weather Services, announced the conditions that the fleet of 63 yachts may experience over the race period.

For the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race at 1pm on Saturday 28 July, moderate south to south-westerly winds of approximately 15-25 knots are forecast. The outlook for Saturday appears to be mostly fine with a maximum temperature of 20C.

The strong south to south-westerly breezes, which are set to continue throughout the race, will push the yachts quickly towards their Southport finish line under spinnaker.

Brindabella’s crew also believe they can break the yacht’s record, set by original owner, George Snow. Sailing master Brad Kellett said that given the conditions, he will take the offshore option. “Looking at the forecast, the conditions offshore suit our 20 tonne boat. We’re anticipating 20-25 knots with a few gusts nudging 30 plus in the ‘highway’.

“We’ll be pushing Brindabella all the way to finish under her own race record. We know that Loki and Wild Oats XI will be in front of us, but we’re aiming to beat the TP52s,” Kellett said, believing conditions are good enough that up to a handful of boats could beat the current time.

Michael Bellingham, the navigator on-board Stephen Ainsworth’s Reichel Pugh 63, Loki, is also staring down the barrel of a 24 hour sprint to the finish line just off Main Beach, Southport.

“The offshore route certainly looks windier, with some great surfing, but that’s also boat breaking conditions. You tend to sail a greater distance to stay in the higher pressure going offshore, however, it may be smarter to work the shore line and work our way through a couple of transitions,” the 2010- 2011 Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year said.

“The window from 9pm on Saturday evening, through to 5am Sunday morning, will be all about keeping the boat upright, but we’ve got a well prepared boat and it’s stronger than the TP52s.

Bellingham also hinted that the forecast could lead Wild Oats XI into another trifecta of race record, line honours and the overall race win. “The challenge for the Oats team will be to keep the boat together,” he said.

An intriguing battle is anticipated between the seven TP52s and Geoff Boettcher’s Reichel Pugh 51 footer, Secret Mens Business 3.5.

For Boettcher, this race marks his return to ocean racing after an 18 month break since taking the overall win in the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart. The South Australian is looking forward to the excitement: “We’ll use Calm (Jason Van der Slot) and Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer) as our benchmark. If we beat them, I’ll be a very happy man,” he said.

At 85, Fischer is the oldest skipper in the race, but he is as competitive as ever. “We’ll be pushing hard all the way,” he said. “If we get the weather predicted, it’ll be all hands on deck the whole race. It’ll be a quick race and we’ll be giving it a bash to win.”

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race starts off Nielsen Park at Vaucluse, and Jannie Greyling, Financial Controller, Audi Centre Sydney, will fire the historic 19th century replica cannon to send the fleet on its way. The 384 nautical mile course takes the yachts down the Harbour and out through Sydney Heads, before turning left towards the finish line off Main Beach at Southport.

The CYCA’s proven yacht tacker system will allow family, friends and yachting enthusiasts to follow the race - and their favourite yachts - for its duration. Each yacht will be fitted with a Yellowbrick tracker that will obtain a position using the GPS satellite network, and then transmit that position back to Yellowbrick HQ using the Iridium satellite network.

Each yacht’s position is then visualised on the race yacht tracker map via http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au or overlaid on Google Earth. In addition, the yacht tracker system also shows distance to finish line and progressive corrected time positions under the IRC, ORCi and PHS handicap divisions

For more information log on to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/asgcyr