Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

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2012
Loki declared overall winner of Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Loki declared overall winner of Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

NEWS
30 Jul, 2012 04:29:00 PM

Loki declared overall winner of Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

As the last five yachts were making their way to the finish line of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race late this afternoon, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia announced that Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63, Loki from the host club, had been declared the overall IRC winner of the 384 nautical mile race.

“We’re off to a good start,” Stephen Ainsworth said after being told he had won the race, which is also the first race of the CYCA’s Blue Water Pointscore Series. Loki is also the new holder of the race record for a conventionally ballasted yacht, previously held for 13 years by the Jutson 80, Brindabella.

“It was a very satisfying win. The conditions were harsh and we drove the boat hard and didn’t back off. The boat and crew handled the race very well,” said Ainsworth who was not sure if they had won right up until the last.

“Possibly on Sunday morning we thought about it. Our minds had been more occupied with the weather and keeping boat moving.”

Peter Harburg’s RP66, Black Jack (Qld) and Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI (NSW) were also confirmed as second and third overall place getters, after the latter broke the race record and claimed line honours yesterday.

The bulk of the fleet finished throughout today and all had tales to tell of the race dubbed ‘the big downhill slide’, because it was a fast downwind ride for most the way, with a couple of curve ball light patches thrown in to test the 63 boats. Only six boats retired from what some called “boat breaking conditions.”

While all enjoyed the fast ride and the odd spot of whale watching, lots had their frustrations too: “Coming to the finishing line has been sheer hell; no wind - and when some sneaks in - it comes from different directions,” Julie Hodder, the navigator on Rob Reynolds’ DK46 Exile, said this afternoon.

“Everyone seems to have wind until Cook Island and then none, but it seems to be filling in behind as the boats behind are catching up,” added Hodder, whose boat finally crossed the finish line at 12.48pm.

New Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore, Howard Piggott, finished the race on his Beneteau First 40, Flying Cloud at 1.23pm. “It was like launching off Cape Canaveral a lot of the time – it was white knuckle sailing,” he said. Can you believe we did 16-18 knots on my Beneteau?”

Those yachts left to finish the race are: Pennant Hills Ford (Ian Creak), Illusion (Kim Jaggar/Travis Read), Leeway/Ensign Racing (Tony Horkings), Mortgage Choice Rumba (Kerry Burke/Robert Carr/Stephanie Cook) and Biddy Hu II, the Beneteau 50 of Paul Lindemann from Victoria.

As the breeze has freshened again this afternoon, Biddy Hu II has an updated ETA of 8.15pm this evening. “We’re in the final straight,” Lindemann said this afternoon.

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race prize giving will be held tomorrow at Southport Yacht Club from 11.00am, which will bring the race to a close for another year.

Follow the race action, check results on http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au or on Twitter http://twitter.com/asgcyr