Skandia Geelong Week - Wood Gets His ‘Ticket Of Leave’ To Sail At Skandia Geelong Week

Past Commodore of Sandringham Yacht Club and Chairman of Sail Melbourne, Kevin Wood, has just had a busy two or three months, none of it involving his successful Beneteau 40.7, Ticket of Leave.

For the past few months, Wood has been heavily involved in all aspects of the Sail Melbourne Regatta, but for the past two days he has been able to concentrate on getting his yacht and crew ready for the Skandia Geelong Week.

Wood has a lot riding on this series; he is the defending champion in the IMS class and finished runner up in the IRC class, so the stakes are high.

‘I expect the competition to be even tougher this year, there are a number of new and re-vamped boats, and it has become quite a serious event. We have just had some new bigger spinnakers made for Ticket of Leave, and what we lose on rating, we gain on boat speed, you have to stay competitive, Wood commented today.

He is correct in his assumption of the competition. A record fleet of over 330 boats are expected. Wood’s biggest hurdle, both in size and performance, will of course be Grant Wharington’s Skandia, the 98ft winner of this year’s Rolex Sydney-Hobart race.

Going down in size, Wood will have to contend with the likes of Christian Jackson’s Geelong entry, Prowler, an Elliot 49. Recently crowned Rookie of the Year, Jackson and his crew have notched up a number of wins and nearly stole line honours from the Volvo 60 Indec Merit in the recent Indec Melbourne-Hobart race.

New this year is Sydney entry, Ichi Ban, the successful Farr 52 owned by Matt Allen, originally from Victoria. Allen, who recently convincingly won the Sailing South regatta in Hobart, will be hard to beat, just as Ray Roberts’ winning Farr 52, Hollywood Boulevard was last year in the IRC class.

Other competition includes two Sydney 38’s – Another Challenge, owned by Lou Abrahams, one of Australia’s most prolific ocean racing winners and Bruce Taylor’s Chutzpah. Both Victorian yachts were top placers at last year’s event and will be out for blood come this one.

Nor can one discount Philip Coombs’ Cookson 12, No Fearr, winner of the 2003 Gosford-Lord Howe Island Race, Don Jones’ self-designed 12.9m Cadibarra – Jones also designed Skandia, and Graeme Troon’s Farr 40, Brighton Star. All are entered in the prestigious seven race Scotchmans Hill Series.

Racing at Skandia Geelong Week, Australia’s largest Keelboat regatta, starts tomorrow and continues on Friday with windward-leeward courses on Port Phillip Bay off Williamstown. Saturday is the start of the Melbourne-Geelong race, which Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, will get underway, firing the start cannon from the Tall Ship Young Endeavour at 9.30am. Racing then continues Sunday and Monday on Corio Bay – the home of Skandia Cowes Week.

To keep up with all the action go to the official website: www.geelongweek.com.au

Di Pearson