2016 Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race attracts big fleet
Third largest fleet on record and reworked Wild Oats XI for the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race starting July 30Entries in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race have closed and organisers at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) have announces that 76 yachts, the third biggest fleet in the race dating back to 1986, will line-up for the start on July 30.
This year’s fleet is bettered only by the record fleet of 86 yachts in 1997 and the 80 yachts that lined-up for the start in 2009. Sponsored by Land Rover, this year's 31st race has attracted high quality competitors from 100 footers down to the 30ft winner of last year.
At the front end and vying for line honours are two super maxis: Sandy Oatley’s open record holder Wild Oats XI (22hrs 3mins 43secs set in 2012), with Mark ‘Ricko’ Richards returning as skipper, and Scallywag, the former Ragamuffin 100, recently purchased by Hong Kong businessman, Seng Huang Lee, who is continuing with the boat’s previous skipper, David Witt.
They will be joined by three V70’s: Peter Harburg returns with Black Jack, Jim Delegat has shipped Giacomo from New Zealand to Australia for the full season, and Maserati, newly purchased by Jim Cooney, joins Giacomo for a first assault on the 384 nautical mile race. Rupert Henry’s JV62, Chinese Whisper, returns after her third over the line in 2015 shows she can mix it at the front.
"It’s really exciting," Mark Richards commented. "We’re really looking forward to getting back on the horse after the disappointment of Hobart. We didn’t know enough about the boat," he said referring to the radical modifications completed on Wild Oats XI in time for the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
"We know the boat now. We’ve made some further tweaks and we’re ready to go. It will be our second race [with] the modifications — the first race since the Hobart — and the competition looks exciting.
"Having said that, it’s been hard losing Bob Oatley and having Syd Fischer retire — both in the last six months. It’s devastating," he said. "It’s great Ragamuffin’s been sold quickly and ready to go though. I think it’ll be a very interesting race when you look at the competition," added Richards.
Others favoured for the overall crown include defending champion, Komatsu Azzurro, Shane Kearns’ 35 year-old, joined by three standout TP52s; Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban, Geoff Boettcher’s Secret Mens Business (SA) and Paul Clitheroe’s 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Balance.
Two Victorian yachts, Bruce Taylor’s Chutzpah and Phil Simpfendorfer’s Veloce could also come into their own, as could the year-old Concubine (Jason Ward) from South Australia and Simon Kurts’ three-time Sydney-Hobart winner, Love & War. Weather, tactics, crew work and a bit of luck are all part of the puzzle to winning.
John Cameron, whose two-year term as CYCA Commodore ends midway through this month, commented: "It’s a fleet of quality and quantity. We couldn’t be more pleased with the growing numbers in our major races and to see our sport in such a healthy state."
The Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race starts at 1300 hours on July 30 off Nielsen Park, Vaucluse. It is the first race of the CYCA’s Blue Water Pointscore and heralds the start of the northern circuit of races and regattas. Details for spectators and details on entries, which close at 1700 hours on July 8, 2016 at goldcoast.cyca.com.au.
Words by CYCA Media; Photos by Andrea Francolini
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