| Wild Oats XI leads
off Belmont Beach |
| By CYCA
Event Media. |
 |
| Photos and edited by Peter Andrews. |
| 18:30 AEDT, March 19, 2010. |
|
| If you happened to be standing on Belmont Beach north of Sydney at 6.30pm this evening, chances are you would see the famous 100ft Wild Oats XI sailing by as she continues to lead the 213 nautical mile Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, which started at midday on Sydney Harbour. |
|
Bob Oatley’s 100ft Wild Oats XI, leads the fleet out
of Sydney Harbour, after the start of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle
Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
| Travelling at 10.8 knots, Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI with Mark Richards at the helm is just over 5 nautical miles ahead of Peter Millard and John Honan’s super maxi Lahana from Queensland. The race record holder, Stephen Ainsworth’s RP 63 Loki, is also having a great race, just 4 nautical miles astern of Lahana. |
|
Peter Millard and John Honan’s 30 metre Lahana, after
the start of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
Like Wild Oats XI, Loki was taking in the scenery sailing close to the coast, while Lahana sailing six miles offshore.
"We have 15 knots from the northeast on a 0.5 metre seas. We’re travelling well and looking forward to a pleasant night at sea," Michael Bellingham reported from Loki at 7.00pm. "We can see Lahana just ahead out to sea and Yendys of our stern," he added. |
|
Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki, after the start of the Audi
Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
After a slow start, Lahana got into the groove and is now leading the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, overall from Syd Fischer’s TP52 Ragamuffin.
Ragamuffin is currently leading the CYCA’s Blue Water Point Score by just one point. With this being the final race of the series, the finishing order will influence the final result for the whole series.
Fischer will have to keep his yacht moving quickly, as only five points separate the top five contenders with Ragamuffin on 15 points, Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest with 16, Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ AFR Midnight Rambler with 17, Geoff Ross’ Reichel / Pugh 55 Yendys with 18 and Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki with 19.) All five are also representing the host club in this race. |
|
Syd Fischer’s TP52 Ragamuffin, after the start of the
Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
| Victoire, the Beneteau First 45 owned and skippered by Darryl Hodgkinson and with Sean Kirkjian in the afterguard, is currently third overall. David Beak’s Mr. Beaks Ribs, Loki, Quest and Yendys with Chris Nicholson skippering in Ross’ absence, are next. |
|
Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest, after the start
of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
Just before 6.30pm this evening, Yendys’ navigator Will Oxley described their current situation.
"We’re playing the coast line and enjoying the scenery. We’re happy with our positioning in the fleet and are working out how to best setup for the changing conditions as it gets dark. We’re enjoying nice upwind sailing. I’m keeping one eye out for the weather at home in Townsville where they are battening down for the cyclone expected early Sunday morning." |
|
Geoff Ross’ Reichel / Pugh 55 Yendys, after
the start of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race
2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
Commenting on the race start, Oxley said: "We’re very pleased to exit quickly, it took Loki a long time to get past us!"
Under the new ORCi rating system, Ragamuffin is leading overall from Colin and Gladys Woods’ Cookson 50 Pretty Fly III and Tony Kirby’s X-41 Patrice Six. |
|
Colin and Gladys Woods’ Cookson 50 Pretty Fly
III, after the start of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle
Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
|
This evening the lead yachts were sailing in variable east-nor-easterly breezes up to 15 knots, while the bulk of the fleet was experiencing 13 to 14 knots from the north-northeast.
As reported just after the race start, tomorrow’s conditions are expected to mirror those of today. |
|
Tony Kirby’s X-41 Patrice Six, after the start of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race 2010.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
|
 |
|
The Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race is the final race of the Blue Water Pointscore and the Tasman Series for the PHS trophy.
Follow the fleet via the official race website http://sydneynewcastle.cyca.com.au or on Twitter http://twitter.com/asonyr.
|
|
| Outimage and
CYCA © 2010 |
