Congestion
City On The Hahn Premium Cruising Yachts Start
Line
By
Di Pearson - Sail-World.com
Sun,
22 Aug 2004
The graceful Classic cruising yachts got off their
start line five minutes before the Cruising division
this morning at 11.00am. Both divisions were doing
the 23 nautical mile Long Island Race.
Brave
little Misha, Mark Long’s De Vries 9.8 metre
yacht from Lake Macquarie was not one bit daunted
by the likes of the bigger Astor, Richard Straman’s
famous Sydney Hobart three time line honours winner
with her first owner, or Simon Vincent’s
Alto.
Misha
was late setting her kite, but it did not seem
to matter – she had great boat speed and
was just behind the spinnakered Alto as they reached
the turning mark, while Astor made her way slowly
at the pin end of the line, the light 6-8 knot
breezes not helping her cause.
At
11.05am the start gun went for the Cruising Yachts,
and in a big debacle, all but about 15 boats decided
they wanted to start at the pin. The yelling and
screaming of up, up, up, between spinnaker sets
was the most excitement at that start.
Those
who were smarter, getting away from mid and boat
end, included Jim O’Keeffe’s Adam’s
13 Hullabaloo from Yamba, Bo Wharton’s Farr
11.6 Outsider (NT), Basil Diethelm’s Swan
44 Sarabande (NSW), Denis Spinley’s S&S
52 Serenity III (VIC) and Alan Kendall’s
Beneteau 42.7 Talon (NSW). This group and a few
more got away from the pack quickly, whilst the
rest got caught in the bun fight with little breeze
and nowhere to go.
At
the turn mark, the same problem again, congestion,
more yelling and more dirty air as the bulk of
the fleet fought for their rights as the small
group in front got away and did not look back.
Both
divisions are expected to finish their race late
this afternoon and early into the evening. Their
course takes them from the Hamilton Island start,
to Dent Island, Pine Island, Long Island, White
Rock, back to Dent Island then to the Dent Passage
finish line – perfectly suited as it is
one of the most scenic courses taking in a number
of the beautiful Whitsunday islands, sailing in
ideal light flat conditions on a sunny Sunday
morning.
This
afternoon, due to the light conditions, Race Officials
headed out to the course with thoughts of shortening
should the breeze look like keeping the boats
out too late tonight.
Their
decision will be made by 2.00-2.30pm this afternoon.
by Di Pearson
