Saltash
11 Favoured To Win Seventh Gladstone Race
Tuesday
March 21st 2005 - Third generation ocean racing
sailors Ian and Bill Wright are strongly favoured
to claim their seventh win in the 308 n/ml Brisbane
to Gladstone yacht race over the Easter weekend.
The
talented sailors have reaped the rewards for remodeling
the old and unwanted former Yachting World Diamond
class day sailing yacht which has outclassed some
of Australia’s best to record an amazing
six wins.
Saltash
11 sailed into Australian offshore racing history
when she won her sixth race in 2003 surpassing
the mighty Norseman which was built in the Bulimba
boatyard of their grandfather Norman R Wright
Snr to win five races in the 1950’s.
Norseman like Saltash 11 was a down wind flyer
and the modern day Wright family sailing team
will need another moderate to fresh spinnaker
sailing forecast to outpace an impressive group
of challengers to win the 57 year old Courier-Mail
Cup for the seventh time.
Saltash
11 has the proven record to win again but this
year’s challenge is shaping up to be her
most serious test to finish ahead of several high
profile crews.
Heading
the challenge will be the Sydney-Hobart race winning
skippers Ed Psaltis who steered AFR Midnight Rambler
through the Bass Strait storm to win in 1998 and
2003 champion Michael Spies in First National
Real Estate.
Both
AFR Midnight Rambler and First National Real Estate
will command respect but the spinnaker sailing
forecast will favour the sprint machines with
Saltash 11 needing to match her pace against the
exciting Mumm 30’s Tow Truck and Immigrant.
Tow
Truck skillfully raced by her Lake Macquarie skipper
Anthony Paterson upstaged AFR Midnight Rambler
and First National Real Estate to win the Sydney
Mooloolaba race last Saturday ahead of class rival
Gladstone skipper Jeff Paul in Immigrant.
All
five crews have the proven qualifications however
Saltash 11 which has recorded all six wins in
south east winds will again be favoured to finish
ahead of her more modern challengers.
Ian Grant.
