Entries close for Sydney-Gold Coast

At the close of entries for the 27th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race on Friday, a high-calibre fleet of 63, including South Australian Geoff Boettcher making a return to ocean racing with his Secret Mens Business 3.5, reigning champion Living Doll, podium regular, Loki and line honours record chaser, Wild Oats XI, will head north. 

Heading the 50 to 55 footer line-up in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s first Bluewater Pointscore offshore race of the year, which starts on Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm on Saturday 28 July, is Secret Men’s Business 3.5, Geoff Boettcher’s RP51 from Adelaide.

“We’re ramping up for this race. Richard Bouzaid is joining us and it will be full-on all the way to Southport,” Boettcher said. “We’re looking forward to doing battle with the other 50 footers in this race because we don’t get much of opportunity to race one on one with these guys.

Among the contenders are reigning champion, Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll flying the flag for Victoria. Nicholas Bartels’ Cookson 50 Terra Firma was also looking good on paper but has suffered hull damage on the delivery to Sydney and had to return to Melbourne.

The crew of Wild Oats XI will be attempting to turn the tide and make the number 13 lucky as they prepare for a third attempt to break the 13-year-old Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race record.

When the fleet launches off the start line near Nielsen Park, Bob Oatley’s Sydney super maxi will need to have favourable conditions and average 14 knots to break Brindabella’s race record of 27 hours, 35 minutes and 43 seconds in the CYCA’s annual race.

Having been so close on two occasions, skipper Mark Richards is confident that the 100ft yacht is ready:  "We’ve made some minor modifications to the boat to improve her light-weather speed, and if we get the right conditions, we can add another race record to Oats’ trophy cabinet," he said.

The bid for overall honours will be compelling to watch, with seven grand prix 50-52 footers and a strong pack of 40 footers among those capable of winning in the right conditions.

A handful of TP52’s, headed by the CYCA’s 2011 Blue Water Pointscore runner-up, Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin (NSW) and David Pescud’s SailorswithDisabilites (making its return to offshore racing after sustaining damage in the Flinders Islet yacht race last year), will are two of the trademark TP52’s.

Leading the 40 footers are two NSW yachts launched last year; AFR Midnight Rambler, Ed Psaltis, Bob Thomas and Michael Bencsik’s Ker 40, and Occasional Coarse Language Too, Warwick Sherman’s Sydney GTS 43, which will be joined by Chutzpah, Bruce Taylor’s well-tuned IRC 40 from Victoria and Andrew Hunn’s Cape/Barrett 40, Mr Kite, all the way from Tasmania.

A mix of Beneteaus and Archambault designs in the 40-45 feet range could also come up with the goods, such is the strong group of same designs.
 
On the larger scale, record holder Brindabella has been entered by current owner Jim Cooney, along with Peter Harburg’s RP66 Black Jack (Qld), under the control of usual skipper Mark Bradford and Stephen Ainsworth’s 2011 Hobart-winning RP63, Loki, the latter two also rating among the favourites in this quality fleet.

Commenting on the number of entries, CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre said: "It’s fabulous to see another great fleet, proving the race’s popularity as a feeder race to other northern regattas, such as Audi Hamilton Island Race Week."

"We’re pleased to see how dynamic the fleet is this year. There’ll be a really good battle to see who’ll be crowned this year’s overall winner," he concluded.

Spectators are welcome to watch the start of the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The 384 nautical mile course takes the fleet down the Harbour and out through Sydney Heads, before turning left to head to the finish line off Main Beach at Southport, Queensland.

MV Coast is the official spectator vessel for this race and tickets are still available so book your spot now by contacting Mark on 0458 888 830 or Kate 0458 888 831 or email: coasthc@me.com.

For more information go to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/asgcyr