Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

News
2010
Black Jack steaming for home on record pace

Black Jack steaming for home on record pace

NEWS
31 Jul, 2010 10:23:00 PM

Black Jack steaming for home on record pace

Peter Harburg’s Queensland based RP66 Black Jack is this evening’s Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race leader. According to navigator Ed Smyth they were blasting along in 25-28 knots of breeze at 9pm this evening and pointing towards home on record pace.

“We are a few miles directly in front of Loki reaching in a 25-28kt westerly and doing 17-20 knots. There is water everywhere on the deck,” said Smyth.

Michael Bellingham, navigator of the second boat in the fleet, Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63 Loki concurred, “We have Black Jack to leeward and a little forward. There is no-one else around. We are making excellent time with ideal conditions, up to 30 knots out of the WSW.

“The boat is very comfortable as is the crew but we are pushing hard. We anticipate these conditions for the next three hours so as they say, make hay while the sun shines.”

While things took a turn for the worst earlier on Wild Oats XI with an injured crewman taken off the boat at Newcastle, it’s all good news on Bob Oatley's Wild Oats X, the RP66 skippered by Iain Murray. Wild Oats X is leading on IRC handicap from the Anthony Paterson helmed Aroona, the current Audi IRC Australian Championship pointscore leader going into this event, the third of the four part series.

On David Pescud’s Lyons 53 Sailors with disABILITIES, Auckland based crewman Martin ‘Irish’ Hannon this evening reported, “After what seemed like a promising, well executed start based upon a solid game plan things went somewhat awry.

“SWD managed to wriggle their way out of the heads with some laughs and a few heads being scratched, especially at the South Head parking lot.

“Currently SWD is cruising along at a comfortable 12knots with the big masthead A sail up. Spirits are high but that could be due to dinner cooking away in the oven wafting out some delicious smells.

“It’s going to be an interesting night as we make our approach to Seal Rocks with the forecast predicting an increase of wind and possibly moving forward a few degrees. But after such an incredible sunset and gorgeous sailing conditions this evening, how can anyone complain? Though this serenity could be broken tonight as the crew tune into the first Bledisloe Cup game...crew Australians 12, NZ 1.5.”

With the rugby result now decided things are possibly a little more subdued for the Aussie contingent.

It’s a similar scenario on Peter Millard and John Honan’s Lahana with NZ navigator Willy Roberts admitting “From my point of the best news so far is the All Blacks beating the wannabe's. Trouble is we are outnumbered 21 to 2 on the boat, and one of the 21 is an ex-Wallaby.

“Grunter the Director of Entertainment (also running pit and water pumps) provided an excellent dinner and spirits are high, despite the rugby result.

“We've been fairly busy, plenty of sail changes, which is never an easy task on a 98 footer. Settled down now and heading up track, having spent too much time low of course. Not a necessarily a bad thing though, we now have a good angle in 20+ knots”, added Roberts.

There have been two more retirements this evening, Phil King’s Zora 1 and Phil Molony’s Papillon heading for their home ports of Newcastle and Sydney respectively, both with steering damage.

The frontrunners are currently sailing off Port Macquarie.

Fleet positions are available via Yacht Tracker at http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au

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