Outimage Publications
ocean yacht racing coverage.
Weather update
- tailwinds for both directions
By CYCA Event Media
09:00 AEDT, March 27, 2009.
At the 08:00 race briefing this morning, representatives of the 24 yachts that will take to the start line for the second Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, received an updated weather forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Julie Evans.
With last night’s southerly coming through as predicated, the fleet are set for a spinnaker start at 12 noon today. The S/SE breeze will provide tailwind for the fleet heading north, pushing them up to the mark laid off Crowdy Head, possibly in record time.
Graeme Wood’s JV52 Wot Now (pictured),
as well as his other boat, a TP52, Wot
Yot, will both
race in the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht
Race.
"If you have the timings all right, you will have a tailwind on the way up and a tailwind coming back down to Newcastle," said Julie Evans in this morning’s briefings.
Early tomorrow morning, those at the front of the fleet will experience light
to moderate SE breezes of 8-13 knots with the wind beginning to shift to the
NE 10 - 15 knots in the afternoon.
For the team on Ragamuffin, Navigator Phil Eadie, would have liked to see a bit more breeze to see if they can take out the 2008-09 Blue Water Pointscore and claim owner Syd Fischer a record tenth championship.
"We know we’ve got a battle on our hands for the title - but there
is nothing like a bit of healthy competition. I’ve got no complaints -
so may the best crew win!" said Phil after the briefing.
Stephen Ainsworth's Reichel Pugh 62 Loki,
seen here in Sydney Harbour during the 2008 SOLAS Big
Boat Challenge, will be racing in the Audi
Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race.
For Cameron Miles and the crew on Loki, the conditions are looking favourable. "We’ve run our modeling and the current predication is for us to finish at Newcastle at 3am Saturday morning. The boys are in for a fast ride and Loki is in good form, so we’ll just see what happens out on the race course," said Cameron.