Sail-World.com : Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race - Hobart qualifier
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Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race - Hobart qualifier |
With entries officially closing this Thursday, 10 June, Gosford Sailing Club has received 19 expressions of interest from yacht owners in contesting this year’s Hempel Paints Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race, an important qualifier for the Sydney Hobart race.
They include one from a group of Swiss yachtsmen chartering a local yacht to contest the 416 nautical mile race across the Tasman Sea to the World Heritage-listed island, with the race starting on Saturday, 30 October.
The Swiss are understood to be chartering Reflection, a 10.4m Groupe Finet design which placed second overall in the PHS division in last year’s race to the Holland/Cole-designed 40-footer Charlie’s Dream, which is also expected to enter again this year.
Also on the list is the Queensland-owned Ray White Spirit of Koomooloo, which has raced to Hobart 24 times since being launched in 1968, originally as Ragamuffin, then as Margaret Rintoul II before being bought by Brisbane yachtsman Mike Freebairn. As Ragamuffin, the Sparkman & Stephens 48 won the Fastnet Race in England in 1971.
Another veteran yacht lining up for yet another Lord Howe Island Race is Polaris of Belmont, owned by Gosford Sailing Club member Chris Dawe. The Cole 43 has competed in 25 Sydney Hobarts and many races to Lord Howe, including a PHS win in 2008 and third last year.
Sanyo Maris, the overall IRC winner of the last two Hempel Gosford to Lord Howe Island Races, so far has not been nominated, but third placegetter in 2009, Greg Zyner’s Radford 12 Copernicus is on the list.
Heading the fleet are the 66-footer The Stick, the former Broomstick now owned by CYCA member Nick Athineos, and the Volvo 60 Southern Excellence, with Andrew Wenham as skipper. However, The Stick’s preparation received a setback last Sunday when her hull was holed in a collision with another yacht in the CYCA Winter Series.
Wellknown money commentator Paul Clitheroe has also advised Race Director Bob Swan of his interest in competing with his Beneteauu First 45 Balance which, over the past year, has had wins at Hamilton Island, in the CYCA Short Offshore series and a second in the CYCA Ocean Pointscore.
This will be the 37th annual race to Lord Howe Island, a unique ocean race on the Australian calendar, a true blue water event that entails a voyage of 416 nautical miles on a north-easterly courses across the northern Tasman Sea from Broken Bay on the Central Coast of New South Wales to this tiny, but magnificent semi-tropical island.
Indeed, it has often been described as ‘the most exclusive race in Australia’ because of the limit of 15 yachts with moderate draft that can moor in the coral lagoon. Deeper draft yachts have to moor in the more exposed south channel.
Race Director Bob Swan, a veteran of sailing in many races to Lord Howe Island, says the race 'reflects the great reputation of the Gosford Sailing Club and its continued involvement with all levels of competitive sailing, creating opportunities for all sailors – from beginner races to long ocean passages.'
by Peter Campbell Share
7:45 AM Tue 8 Jun 2010 GMT
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