Big fleet for Gold Coast race

A high-calibre fleet of 70 yachts will line up on Sydney harbour on Saturday, July 30, for the start of the 26th Sydney-Gold Coast race and the 12-year-old race record could be under serious threat.

The veteran maxi ocean racer Brindabella, a conventionally-ballasted 80 footer, set the record of 27 hours 35 minutes and 43 seconds in 1999 and since then adverse weather conditions have kept the record safe.

The recently-refurbished Brindabella will be racing again this year but she is now no match for the 100-foot supermaxis such as Bob Oatley Wild Oats XI and Anthony Bell's Investec Loyal. Both Oats and Loyal have been extensively modified since they last clashed in the 2010 Sydney-Hobart race and both are capable of slicing hours off Brindabella's record if they get favourable southerly winds.

Wild Oats XI has had her forward rudder removed and replaced by twin retractable centreboards like those used on the very fast Volvo around-the-world yachts. Investec Loyal has had changes made to her hull, keel and her rigging. With Peter Millard and John Honan's 98 footer Lahana dogging their transoms, the two yachts are expected to easily sail away from the fleet.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Garry Linacre says it is the most dynamic fleet he has seen for years and he reckons there will be a great battle for handicap honours.

Leading contenders for that prize are Stephen Ainsworth's 63 footer Loki and Marcus Blackmore's TP52 Hooligan -- a boat that has forged a remarkable record since her arrival in Australia last year. Blackmore is leading defending champion Ainsworth by just three points in the Audi IRC Australian Championship. This is the third race of that series.

Close behind these yachts will be a brace of well known ocean racers including Syd Fischer's latest Ragamuffin, Michael Hiatt's Living Doll and Victorian Rob Hanna's Shogun.

At the other end of the size range, the smallest yacht in the fleet will be Harvey Milne's 31 footer Aroona, skippered by renowned small boat sailor Anthony Paterson.

The CYCA computer yacht tracking system, which proved itself during last year's Hobart race, will allow enthusiasts to follow their favourite yachts throughout the race. Each yacht will be fitted with a Yellowbrick tracker that will transmit their GPS position on the Iridium satellite telephone network.