| AFR Midnight Rambler declared IRC Overall Winner. |
| By CYCA Event Media. |
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| Photos and edited By Peter Andrews. |
| 13:00 AEST, July 28, 2009. |
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| At 13:00 AEST this afternoon, Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ modified Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler was declared the IRC Overall Winner of the 24th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. |
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Ed Psaltis and Rob Thomas’ modified
Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler was declared
the IRC Overall Winner of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast
Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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After a long tough and hard race, but one that was strangely emotional, Ed Psaltis was very pleased to be informed of their IRC Overall win by Commodore Matt Allen.
"This IRC overall win means a lot to us. It has been the only east coast
ocean race that we hadn’t won overall, and now we have so, it’s truly
outstanding," said Psaltis. |
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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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Co-owner Bob Thomas expressed his gratitude for Ed and their crew.
"Ed and the crew put a lot of work into the boat, so that she was ready to perform to her best. Ed was the key driver of all the boat modifications and with her new sail wardrobe she performed to her best. I think this race was one of the hardest races I’ve done in a long time, harder than the last 5 Hobarts and probably the hardest the boat has done in our overall win in the 1998 Hobart," said Thomas. |
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Robert Date's Reichel Pugh 52 Scarlett
Runner finished first in IRC Division 1, in the
Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| "The boat hasn’t had its fair share of luck, but she survived the whole race without a crack in the paintwork, all due to the diligent work of our crew. I thank the crew for all their efforts in this race, and look forward to working with them over the season," concluded Thomas. |
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Geoff Ross' Reichel Pugh 55 Yendys finished
second in IRC Division 1, seen here just after the
start of the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| For Ed and Bob this also marks the commencement of their campaign in the CYCA’s Blue Water Championship, which the duo won in 2006/07. They are looking forward to a strong performance this series and a possible second title.
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Graeme Wood's Judel Vrolijik TP52 Wot
Now, finished
third in IRC Division 1, seen here just after the
start of the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| Commodore Matt Allen said "AFR Midnight Rambler is a well sailed boat and as a modified Farr 40 she performs well in light to moderate airs. Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas have been tireless campaigners of the CYCA’s Blue Water Pointscore series and sailing program as well as achieving some good results in most east coast ocean races including Rolex Sydney Hobart, Mooloolaba and Gosford Lord Howe Island."
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Anthony Patersons 'Ker 11.3 Tow Truck finished
second in IRC Division 2 behind Ed Psaltis and Rob Thomas’ modified
Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler,
seen here after the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast
Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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| "This race had many battles: the battle for line honours, the IRC Overall, and the battle of the 50 footers. It was also interesting to watch the race between the smaller boats in the fleet including Rod Jones’ Archambault 40 Alegria, Henk Wellemen’s Sydney 36CR Aileron, and Anthony Paterson’s Kerr 11.3 Tow Truck," concluded Allen. |
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Kym Clarke's Sydney 47 Fresh from
Port Lincon South Australia, finished
third in IRC Division 2 and seen here just after the
start of the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2009.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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Other provisional division winners that have been declared include:
IRC Division O
1st - Wild Oats X (Reichel Pugh 66) Bob Oatley, NSW.
2nd - Black Jack (Reichel Pugh 66) Peter Harburg, QLD.
IRC Division 1
1st - Scarlett Runner (Reichel Pugh 52) Robert Date, VIC.
2nd - Yendys (Reichel Pugh 55) Geoff Ross, NSW.
3rd - Wot Now (Judel Vrolijik 52) Graeme Wood, NSW.
IRC Division 2
1st - AFR Midnight Rambler (Farr 40 MOD) Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas,
NSW.
2nd - Tow Truck (Kerr 11.3) Anthony Paterson, NSW.
3rd - Fresh (Sydney 47), Kym Clarke , SA.
With boats still to finish IRC Division 4 and PHS Division 2, no results have been declared however Henk Wellemen’s Sydney 36CR Aileron currently leads IRC Division 4, with Michael Martin’s Sayer 40 Frantic currently leading PHS Division 2. |
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Graeme Wood's Nelson Marek TP52 Wot
Yot, skippered by Bill Sykes and crewed with
youth from various youth sailing programs from the
CYCA and other Sydney clubs.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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IRC Division 3 and PHS Division 1 results are subject to protest hearings which the National Jury, chaired by John Kirkjian, will hear this evening at 17:30 AEST.
The official prizegiving will be held at Southport Yacht Club at 10:00 AEST tomorrow, Wednesday July 29, 2009.
Race results and divisional results will be updated on the official race website
http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au as yachts finish..
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 |
