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It’s a Battle of the 50ft Yachts in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Home 2008 It’s a Battle of the 50ft Yachts in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Power reacing on Ray Roberts' Quantum Racing

It is anticipated that the lead boats will cross the finish line at approx 4am Monday morning with conditions at the finish line off Southport’s Main Beach currently showing 5-10 knots W/SW, with a possible increase in the wind to 15-20 knots.

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Quantum Racing has held onto her position as fleet leader from earlier today with a lead on Quest of approximately 16 nautical miles. Quest is in a group of five yachts that are TP52s, Cookson 50s or IRC 52 designed yachts and is closely followed by Yendys, Shortwave, Cougar II and Secret Mens Business III.

These five yachts have been trading places all day across the water while the navigators and tacticians huddle together working out how to squeeze that little bit extra out of the boat.  With 140 nautical miles to the finish, their race will be competitive to the end with fresh weather conditions coming in.

Quantum Racing and Quest are recording almost identical boat speeds and are in average pressure offshore of the Solitary Islands, with the group of yachts behind the leader experiencing boat speeds of approx 9 knots.

It is anticipated that the lead boats will cross the finish line at approx 4am Monday morning with conditions at the finish line off Southport’s Main Beach currently showing 5-10 knots W/SW, with a possible increase in the wind to 15-20 knots.

Provisional overall handicap results at 1500hrs today have Quantum Racing leading the IRC fleet from Bob Steel’s Quest and Alan Whiteley’s Cougar II.

Rod Skellett’s Krakatoa II is provisionally leading the PHS fleet from David Fernie’s Sea Quest and Ian Sanford’s Ray White Castle Hill Tartan.

Just prior to this afternoon’s position report, Tim Casey’s St Hiller’s Quest retired due to a damaged rudder bearing and advised that they were heading to Coffs Harbour. They are the fourth retirement from the fleet of 75 that left Sydney Harbour yesterday afternoon at 1pm.

As the fleet comes towards the finish line, yachts can be tracked on the race website http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au as each yacht is fitted with the CYCA’s unique yacht tracking device which sends regular updates to the race website. Details of all yachts participating in the event can be found under ‘The Yachts’ tab. Line honours positions and handicap results will be updated regularly until the last boat crosses the finish line.