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TP52 stranglehold on Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Home 2016 TP52 stranglehold on Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

SAILING - Land Rover Sydney to Gold Coast 2016 30/07/2015 ph. Andrea Francolini ICHI BAN

With Wild Oats XI’s line honours victory confirmed today, the chase is on to win the 2016 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race overall, and as conditions remain light, it is likely the winner will not be known until late tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning, but this afternoon, five TP52s have a stranglehold on the race.

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At the afternoon sked, the TP52 brigade is led by Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban, which continues her glamour run. She is in the box seat, an impressive six hours ahead of nearest competition, Koa (Peter Wrigley/Andy Kearnan) on corrected time. Paul Clitheroe’s Balance is sitting in third place overall.

Behind them is another TP52, M3, owned by West Australian Peter Hickson, with Brent Fowler in the skipper role. The TP52’s bigger sister, the JV62, Chinese Whisper, which Rupert Henry sailed to third on line and second overall in last year’s race, is behind M3.

The going is still very tough, with light and shifty airs of up to 8 knots still prevailing on most of the race track, and many boats moving up and down the standings – from roosters to feather dusters and back again.

Paul Clitheroe, barging in France while Mike Green skipper’s his yacht, is never-the-less avidly keeping an eye on proceedings aboard Balance and recognises the changing nature of the race.

“I’ve had pretty good wireless during the day, so I’ve been able to keep an eye on Balance during their night. Frankly, it looked awful. Storms at sea are one thing, but at least you’re never bored, but drifting in and out of wind holes is just frustrating. At times I saw them doing near zero knots pointing at all angles. At other times they were moving and others were not,” Clitheroe said.

“Right now, I reckon they have done a really good job. Ichi Ban has broken away, but four of the TP52's, Balance, Koa, M3 and RKO are having a great battle. I reckon Balance and Koa must have overtaken each other a dozen times during the night and remain close enough to pass cold beers between boats - if they had any. Yacht racing at its best.

“Meanwhile, I have been doing my bit cheering Balance on, this time over a 2009 Saint Emilion Grand Cru, along with a Maine lobster, tangy palm sugar and peanut dressing with micro greens…”

Carl Crafoord navigating on Pazazz, had this to add: “Last night we came in last in our pack into the Smokey Cape parking lot just after midnight. It was one huge hole. We were jostling with Imagination, Minerva, Black Sheep, Le Billet – all of our Division 3 boats,” he said from Rob Drury’s Cookson 12.   

“We took the inside track when the experienced guys went wide to go buffalo girls round the outside the massive wind hole. Low and behold, our inside strategy paid off, and we had a bit of a win leading the pack out.

“We still lead our group of 15 boats to Coffs Harbour. We’re running low on food, no meals for tomorrow, so major weight loss program. Latest routing has us in at sunset tomorrow, so we’ll be hungry and thirsty on arrival,” Crafoord said earlier today.

Tony Kirby, Patrice’s owner, also confirmed they would start food rations from lunchtime.

Peter Harburg’s Black Jack, a V70 from Queensland is the next boat due to finish the race. Her ETA at the finish is for after 5pm today.

Retirements stand at nine boats, James Irvine retiring Mayfair, citing time constraints. Adding the finish of Wild Oats XI, 65 yachts remain at sea.  

All information on the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is on the official race website: http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au   

Di Pearson, CYCA media