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Skandia smoking to Southport

Home 2006 Skandia smoking to Southport

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As expected, Grant Wharington’s 98 foot Melbourne maxi Skandia led the fleet down the harbour with only the bravest attempting to hoist a spinnaker.

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“What a great start to a race. Boy am I glad we are not turning right and heading for Hobart!”

These were the first words from Skandia’s navigator Will Oxley after the wild start of the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race on Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm this afternoon.

After a clean start in a fresh to frightening 25 knot sou’wester, the 42 boat fleet powered to Sydney Heads where the building breeze, plummeting temperature and sea state resembled Bass Strait in a bad mood.

Within 15 minutes of the race start, Nick De Laine’s brand new Stomp, contesting its first race, was calling for assistance after breaking her rudder in the Harbour and not long after, Espresso Forte was heading back through the fleet but did rejoin the race a short time later.

As expected, Grant Wharington’s 98 foot Melbourne maxi Skandia led the fleet down the harbour with only the bravest attempting to hoist a spinnaker. 

“We did a timed run to the start and hit the line at pace going 20+ knots and we were clear of the Harbour within 10 minutes,” reported Oxley.

The downwind fliers, Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki, John Woodruff’s Seriously TEN, Steven David’s Wild Joe, Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll and Leslie Green’s new Swan 601 Ginger followed in Skandia’s wake while amongst the smaller boats, the Mumm 30 Tow Truck, the crew well known for their nerves of steel in these conditions, was holding its own amongst the big boys and this afternoon they are way offshore doing 14 knots of boat speed.

It’s going to be a wild night for the fleet with reports of 37 knots coming from the race track this afternoon. Currently Skandia is way ahead of record time as they try to put as many miles behind them before the sou’wester is forecast to ease and swing to the sou’east tomorrow morning.