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Wild Oats XI counting down miles in Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Home 2016 Wild Oats XI counting down miles in Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

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

The Oatley family’s Wild Oats XI is steadily making her way towards the 2016 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race finish line this morning; at 7.30am she was 33 nautical miles from the finish line with an expected finish time of shortly after 11am.

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With Mark Richards at the helm, the super maxi is 10 nautical miles north of Cape Byron, making 7.1 knots of boat speed. She has taken a few more miles out of Peter Harburg’s V70 overnight, the 100 footer and the 70 footer are now separated by 31 miles. Black Jack is hurtling along at 13.2 knots, but the pair’s boat speed has been see-sawing throughout the night and morning.

It is a credit to the Queensland crew on Black Jack, and Harburg’s skipper, Mark Bradford, that they have been mostly able to keep their larger contemporary in their sight for most of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 384 nautical mile race. 

A couple of surprises this morning. Matt Allen has moved Ichi Ban up into third place on line and second overall and quickly overhauling the current overall race leader. Ichi Ban is in the overtaking lane, the TP52 is within 29 miles of Black Jack, leaving the larger JV62, Chinese Whisper (Rupert Henry) 11 miles in his wake.

Behind Chinese Whisper is a pack of TP52’s; Koa (Peter Wrigley/Andy Kearnan), Balance (Paul Clitheroe), M3 (Peter Hickson) and the RKO, recently purchased by newcomer to yachting, Aaron Rowe. 

Surprise number two is last year’s overall winner, Komatsu Azzurro, who has emerged as the overall leader of the race. Could Shane Kearns successfully defend his title with smallest yacht in the fleet, his 35 year-old S&S 34 to claim the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy?

The only yacht to successfully defend sequential overall titles in this race was Steven David with his Reichel/Pugh 60, Wild Joe in 2006 and 2007.

Two new contenders for overall victory have developed this morning, with Noel Cornish’s Sydney 47 St Jude moving in third place overall, leading Ian Creak’s Beneteau 47.7, Ausreo, in fourth place. However, there is still a long way to go, as is evidenced by conversations with Carl Crafoord, the veteran navigator on Rob Drury’s Pazazz and Tony Kirby, the owner/skipper of Patrice.

“What can I say that you haven’t heard already,” Crafoord questioned. “We’re currently abeam of Camden Head, little breeze from the north-west…,” he ended from the Cookson 12.

Tony Kirby reported from his Ker 46: “We found a fishing pot on the first night and one of the guys had to cut it free. It goes without saying it slowed us down for a while.

“Last night we had very light winds. You didn’t know whether to take the inside or outside track. It was a very slow night. We didn’t stop, but it was very slow going.

“We were approaching Smoky Cape and there were lots of little holes, but later on, a nice 8 knot westerly came through. It’s not over yet, the race is only halfway through. There’s a long way to go and we’ve still got plenty of food,” Kirby ended.

At 8.15am this morning, Kirby was sounding happier. “We’re slowly catching up again and we’re not giving up. It’s a beautiful morning with lots of whales around. We’re doing 8½ to 9 knots in a westerly.

“We made good gains at Smoky Cape last night. We stayed out in the current, while others went in. Swish (last night’s overall leader) was first to go in, now she’s on our hip. Terra Firma also went in and did not benefit. Ragamuffin must have gone in too close at Coffs Harbour, because she’s lost ground. Ichi Ban is going like the clappers,” said Kirby from 13th place overall.

“It’s one of those races where anything can happen. A lot depends on where you are on the course at any given time. It’s anyone’s race still.” 

Two further retirees overnight as Glenn Burrell’s Jeanneau 42, Wild Flower 2, and Rob Fisher/Paul Mara’s Helsal 3 became victims of the weather, citing time constraints. Eight boats have retired to-date, leaving 67 yachts on the race track in one of the slowest races in memory.

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