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Long spinnaker run north

Home 2007 Long spinnaker run north

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With a huge high pressure system currently sitting over Queensland, Pescud this morning joked he had organised for his pension to be delivered to Mackay.

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The Audi Sydney Gold Coast and Audi Sydney Mackay fleet will exit Sydney Harbour in a blaze of colour with a spinnaker start expected at 1pm today off Nielsen Park.

The Bureau of Meteorology delivered its final race forecast at this morning’s weather briefing with little change from previous days. For today’s start a 10-15 knot W/SW breeze is forecast with greater pressure offshore. Tomorrow afternoon the fleet sailing off the mid north NSW coast may run into a northerly sea breeze but for the most part, it will be a spinnaker run all the way.

With 10-15 knots forecast inshore and 15-20 knots offshore, even more further out to sea, each skipper and navigator will have to make the decision how wide to go.

On board Rob Hanna’s brand new Rogers 46 Shogun, navigator Bryan Northcote says “with the current so far offshore, it’s going to be tempting to head out for more pressure. I believe Sunday afternoon will be when the big decision needs to be made, whether to skirt around the outside or head in for the land breeze that night.”

Northcote also believes the 384 nautical mile Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is going to be quicker than the forecast is predicting.

Matt Allen, skipper of the line honours contender Ichi Ban, was hoping for more breeze for this race. “We would have liked more wind but as long as we have the boat fully canted with full sail up we’ll be OK. We should have better wind offshore, we’ll head out and have a look then probably creep back in.”

On board David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities, one of five yachts also contesting the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race, Pescud has provisioned for seven days at sea with extra water on board for when the temperature warms up and the crew starts to drink more.

With a huge high pressure system currently sitting over Queensland, Pescud this morning joked he had organised for his pension to be delivered to Mackay.

Sailors with disAbilities, a Lyons 54, and the Corby 49 Limit are the largest boats contesting the 898 nautical mile Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race and Pescud is expecting a "seven day race" between he and Limit’s owner Alan Brierty, and sailing master Roger Hickman. “We’d love to get there first but Hicko is a tough duck,” said Pescud this morning after the weather briefing. 

On Andrew Short Marine Brindabella, the glue is not long set on the new bow sprit owner Andrew Short had installed yesterday. Short is expecting the late modification to make the 79-footer easier to sail and in future it will allow them to carry a greater sail area.

Due to the annual Sydney Boat Show, marine retailer Andrew Short can only participate in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast once every five years and this year he is joining the fleet at the helm of the race record holder he purchased this year from George Snow.

Geoff Boettcher, owner/skipper of South Australian entry Hardys Secret Mens Business, believes all but the last 12 hours will suit the Reichel/Pugh 46. Boettcher’s concern is some of the smaller boats contesting the Audi IRC National Championship will sneak up the pointscore if they pick up a stronger southerly flow on Monday afternoon. 

Each competing yacht has been fitted with a tracking device and can be monitored constantly via Yacht Tracker. Line honours positions and handicap results will be updated every 10 minutes until the last boat in both races cross the finish line. - Lisa Ratcliff