At 20:13:13 hours
Sunday 3rd August Peter Harburg’s Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack slid
across the finish line of the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical
Yacht Race.
As this is the first running of the race to the new destination
Black Jack has set a race record that’s going to be tough
to beat.
They finished the race almost in complete
darkness with only torches and a spectacular meteorite shower lighting
the waters of Keppel Bay.
Sailing with their Code 0 at an extraordinary 6 knots in only 3 knots of easterly breeze, the crew received a shout out from spectator
craft that were following their progress from this afternoon.
Peter Harburg's Reichel Pugh 66 Black
Jack at the Keppel Bay Marina at the end of the Brisbane
to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race.
Skipper Mark Bradford was extremely happy with the yacht and the crew he hand-selected.
"We were pretty lucky with the wind but it does look like it has shut down for the night. We didn’t stop during the race at all which
was great especially when the breeze did die right off," said Bradford.
"As expected Black Jack is a pedigree yacht and we are really happy with
her performance and that of the crew. We gelled together with the senior guys
encouraging the younger crew to get involved."
"This was our first race and already the crew is improving. We are a great team who just want to go sailing. I’d give this performance 7.5 out of ten!" continued
Bradford.
Sir Jack Brabham who put his famous
nickname to the yacht is thrilled with their performance and wanting
to know how many laps the crew had won by. Sir Jack was reminded that
this was yacht racing in a straight line!
Peter Harburg's Reichel Pugh 66 Black
Jack after the start of the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical
Yacht Race.
The next yacht due to
finish as at the 1705 sked is Peter Goldsworthy’s Volvo 60 Getaway-Sailing.com. Bill
Wild’s Hugh Welbourne 42 Wedgetail is tipped to cross the line
in third. In the 2007 race that finished at Great Keppel Island, Getaway-Sailing.com
were the line honours winner with Wedgetail taking out IRC and PHS.
Ray Sweeney’s Farr 11.5 Mondo were just rounding Breaksea Spit
at the 1705 sked putting them at the finish line in approximately 24
hours time.
For all the latest log onto the official race website – www.brisbanetokeppel.com
All
onboard Peter Harburg's Reichel Pugh 66 Black
Jack enjoying a beer at
the Keppel Bay Marina after taking out line honours in
the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race.