Having A Prime Time At Hamilton Island
By Di Pearson - Sail-World.com
Mon, 23 Aug 2004

Two 98 footers - Skandia and Konica Minolta match raced to the end in a thrilling Coral Sea Island Race yesterday in the Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island.

Only 200 metres apart at times, Grant Wharington’s Skandia (VIC) won from the New Zealand Stewart Thwaites owned maxi by just over three minutes after sailing 85 nautical miles in predominantly light airs.

It was a fast finish though, 15 knots of wind and the fleet coming home under spinnaker, Skandia finishing just after 5.00pm last night, the rest of the fleet trickling home late into the night.

While onlookers may have enjoyed the spectacle and that of the other big boats in the Big Boat and IRC classes, such as the third placed Wild Oats (NSW), the Reichel Pugh 60 owned by Hamilton Island owner Bob Oatley, George Snow’s value for money Brindabella (NSW), Sandy Oatley’s Another Duchess (Hamilton Island Chairman of the Board) and friend Colin O’Neil’s matching After Shock (NSW), the real story, as the regatta goes on, is that of the handicap leaders, which is what the series is all about.

David Mason’s Prime Time, a brand new Farr Beneteau 44.7 from Sydney, won yesterday’s race on handicap from After Shock and Tony Kirby’s Match 38, Game Set (NSW) in third.

Mid size boats, John Rouse’s increasingly faster Rouseabout 3 (VIC) and the always well-sailed Quest, owned by Bob Steel (NSW), filled the next two places.

Skandia’s first race win, coupled with her tenth place yesterday, has her second placed with 190 points to After Shock with 193 points at the top of the overall scoreboard. Wild Oats and Matt Allen’s Farr 52, Ichi Ban (NSW) are third placed with 189 points each.

The big boats need to consolidate now, because the smaller yachts are creeping up the leaderboard. Heading into Day 3 tomorrow, Quest and Prime Time are equally fourth placed with big boat Another Duchess on 188 points, with Rouseabout 3 and the Troon family’s brand new Reichel/Pugh 14.2m XLR8 (NSW) knocking on the door, just one and two points behind.

Nev Wittey, tactician/helmsman on Prime Time commented this morning, ‘David is very pleased with his new boat’s performance. We are still optimising the yacht and this is her first regatta – she is straight out of the wrapping.

'We still have a long way to go, but yes, we are all feeling pretty good about this boat. David navigates and steers and we also have Bruce Hollis on board, which helps. I think we are the only boat here with an Ullman Cuben Fibre main.’

Wittey, a champion match racer, former America's Cup helmsman and world champion, said they were looking forward to racing the big boats on the shorter windward/leeward courses which are the fare for the next two days – 12 miles per race and the type of race the smaller boats excel in. The maxi boat crews work doubly hard on these courses, particularly when setting and dropping spinnakers. There is no room for error. Time will tell.

Racing gets underway at 11.00am tomorrow morning.

by Di Pearson