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

Light air spinnaker start to 24th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Home 2009 Light air spinnaker start to 24th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Article Image

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race commenced in light ESE breeze of 3-5 knots with a strong ebb tide and in glorious sunshine at 1pm today. A total of 80 boats took to the start line with a total of 859 crew on board the yachts.

news
—

25 July 2009, 1600 hours

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race commenced in light ESE breeze of 3-5 knots with a strong ebb tide and in glorious sunshine at 1pm today.  A total of 80 boats took to the start line with a total of 859 crew on board the yachts.

Craig Cairnduff, Dealer Principal Audi Centre Sydney has the honour of starting the fleet off by firing the 19th century replica cannon.  “It was a pleasure to be given the honour of starting this race – it’s not something you do everyday.  Watching the yachts go up the harbour was a stunning sight!”

Wild Oats X, Wot Now and Yendys chose the Committee boat end of the start line, but it was those that started down the pin end of line that got off to a better start.  Tony Donnellan’s Shamrock nailed the start which saw him take an early lead on the fleet which he held to the heads.  Andrew Short’s Pricewaterhouse Coopers also got themselves into a good position, with Ray Sweeney’s Sydney 38 Mondo, Peter Millard and John Honan’s Lahana and Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki all benefited from pin end starts.

Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll was called OCS and having returned and re-started the race, she made a spectacular recovery catching up to the lead boats within minutes.  Peter Harburg’s Black Jack who was in the middle of the start line appeared to get boxed in and had a tough fight to find some breeze.

As yachts approached Hornby lighthouse, the breeze moved into the NE at 5-8 knots, as predicted at this mornings weather briefing.

First out of the heads was Tony Donnellan’s Reichel Pugh 47 Shamrock by a bow sprit from Robert Oatley’s Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X, closely followed by Andrew Short’s Reichel Pugh 80 Pricewaterhouse Coopers.  In the light conditions the fleet took 30 minutes to reach the heads.

Once through the heads, Pricewaterhouse Coopers took the lead with Wild Oats X not far behind.

Keen enthusiasts can track the fleet as they sail up the coast as each yacht is fitted with the CYCA’s unique yacht tracking device which sends regular updates to the race website – http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au.  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 cross the finish line.