Skip to main content
Time to race start
00 days
:
00 hours
:
00 mins
:
00 secs

Let the chase for a new race record begin

Home 2006 Let the chase for a new race record begin

Article Image

“What happens between 3.00am and 10.00am tomorrow morning, during the transition between the sou’wester and the lighter sou’easter will determine whether the record goes,” said Skandia’s navigator Will Oxley this morning.

news
—

A spectacular 1.00pm spinnaker start today on Sydney Harbour in a 20-25 knot sou’wester will mark the start of the 21st Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and the chase for the elusive seven year race record.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s original forecast is unchanged with a cool, fresh sou’wester forecast to hit Sydney this morning. Once the fleet clears Sydney Heads, the pressure looks set to ramp up to 30+ knots offshore and hold until the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Those heading out to sea in search of greater pressure will be pushing into a 2 knot southerly current but with 10 knots of extra breeze, greater gains will be made by going wide.

The 98 foot Melbourne maxi Skandia, the challenger for the race record 27 hours 35 minutes 03 seconds set by Brindabella in 1999, is expected to lead the fleet on a wild surf northwards and should be well ahead of race record time by 2.00am Sunday morning. But again, as has happened many times in this race, the breeze could fizzle out at the Queensland border.

“What happens between 3.00am and 10.00am tomorrow morning, during the transition between the sou’wester and the lighter sou’easter will determine whether the record goes,” said Skandia’s navigator Will Oxley this morning.

By mid Sunday the cool sou’wester is expected to tend to the south east and ease to 5-10 knots off the mid NSW north coast. By Monday, the breeze should have swung to the north east, putting the brakes on the tail end of the fleet completing the final stages of the 384 nautical mile race to Southport on the Queensland south coast.

“It’s not an idea forecast for our boat,” admitted Michael Spies, skipper of the Beneteau 44.7 Sirromet Life Style Wine, following this morning’s final weather briefing. - Lisa Ratcliff