Mild south sou’westerly pushing the Audi Sydney
Gold Coast fleet home. |
| By CYCA Event Media. |
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Photos and edited By Peter Andrews. |
08:30 AEST, July 28, 2009. |
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| The predicted south to sou’westerly winds have arrived and are helping the remainder of the fleet arrive in Southport. At 08:30 AEST, 49 boats had arrived in Southport with the remainder of the fleet expected to arrive steadily through the day and into the night. The last boat to cross the finish line is expected to arrive tomorrow around midday. |
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Robert Date's Reichel Pugh 52 Scarlett
Runner, Kym Clarke's Sydney 47 Fresh from
Port Lincon South Australia, and Greg Zyner's Radford
12m Copernicus, at the pin end of the starting
line for the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| Included in this morning’s arrivals were Anthony Paterson’s Tow Truck, Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ AFR Midnight Rambler, and Murray Owen and Jenny King’s Mahligai. |
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Murray Owens and Jenny King's Sydney
46 Mahligai after the start of the Audi Sydney
Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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Currently leading IRC Overall is Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ AFR Midnight Rambler.
"We have had a really good race. The boat has undergone some modifications since Hobart and this race was the beginning of a new campaign," said Thomas.
"The first night was moderate and the second night was tough going. But we held the boat to the course we chose to take advantage of the breeze shift Monday morning. We were constantly keeping and eye out for our nearest rivals, Tow Truck and this time we have finished ahead of them after they had beaten us in Hobart and the Audi Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race," added Thomas.
"We have one of the friendliest rivalries in the sport between ourselves and Tow Truck. They were true to their word when they arrived onshore, they paid their bet by buying us 6 jugs of rum." |
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Ed Psaltis and Rob Thomas’ modified
Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler outside the heads
after the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht
Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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As for the team onboard AFR Midnight Rambler, Thomas was quite impressed to say the least.
"The crew did an excellent job with three key crew members that were integral to making things happen; Ed Psaltis, Shane Guanaria and Tom Barker. This is the first race that this crew has been together for an ocean race but they are all experienced ocean racers. We are very happy with the current standing, but we will await official confirmation before we really begin to celebrate," concluded Thomas. |
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Anthony Patersons 'Ker 11.3 Tow Truck,
after the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race
2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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Brett Filby, navigator of Tow Truck said conditions meant that they had gone further offshore than they had planned, just to try and get some favourable breeze.
"It feels like we have done a Hobart when we were only going to the Gold Coast with the additional miles we put in. We knew if we were able to stick close to AFR Midnight Rambler, we would finish strongly and maintain our friendly rivalry," said Filby. |
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Tony Donnellan's Reichel Pugh 46 Shamrock after
the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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Current PHS Division 1 provisional leader Murray Owen and Jenny King’s Mahligai, were very happy with their race.
"It was a pretty tough and long race with great crew work. We had a few crew onboard that were undertaking their first big ocean race and they performed really well. At one point we were 75 miles offshore with lots of waves coming over the bow and some short and sharp conditions. We are very happy with our current lead in PHS," said Jenny King. |
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Geoff Lavis' Inglis 50 UBS Wild Thing finished
second in PHS Division 1, in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast
Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| Geoff Lavis’ UBS Wild Thing is currently placed second in PHS Division 1 with Bruce Mackay’s Wasabi, third. |
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Bruce McKay's Sayer 12 Wasabi ahead
if the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race
2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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For Paul Clitheroe, owner of Balance, he was happy with how his ‘new’ Balance performed.
"We stayed inshore pretty much all the time. I am happy with how the boat performed and for us to finish 31st across the line in our first ocean race in this boat, it’s been tough but terrific," said Clitheroe. |
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Paul Clithero's Beneteau First 45 Balance,
outside the heads after the start of the Audi Sydney
Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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PHS Division 2 provisional results show Phil King’s Zora 1 currently holding first place ahead of Andrew Wenham’s SES Inch by Winch in second and Michael Martin’s Frantic, third.
The fleet’s progress has quickened today thanks to the moderate southerly breeze which is pushing the remaining boats up the NSW far north coast and into Queensland waters to the finish line in reasonable time.
Official race website http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au.
For a full list of Audi Sydney Gold Coast entries go to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au/yachts.asp?key=26.
For more information about the host
club of the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, please visit their website at: http://www.cyca.com.au/. |
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| Outimage and CYCA © 2009 |
