Entries open for Sydney Gold Coast Race
Large fleet expectedThe Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, together with sponsor Audi Centre Sydney, are pleased to announce the release of the Notice of Race for the 384nm Audi Sydney-Gold Coast Yacht Race to start on Sydney Harbour at 1,00pm, Saturday 28 July.
Within 24 hours of online entries being open, the CYCA had received four entrants that included Victorian Nicholas Bartels’ Cookson 50 Terra Firma, Kym Butler’s Archambault 40 One for the Road from Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Grant Dawson and Brett Lawson’s Ker 11.3, Kerisma, and Andrew Wenham’s Volvo 60 Southern Excellence.
Despite some close calls, Brindabella’s 13 year old race record of 27 hours, 35 minutes and three seconds still stands. Super maxis Wild Oats XI (Bob Oatley) and Investec Loyal (Anthony Bell) are set to draw swords again in a battle to gain bragging rights, the line honours win and perhaps even the record.
Some of the 70-plus yachts expected to compete in the annual pilgrimage north include: Peter Millard and John Honan’s 98ft Bakewell/White designed Lahana; Brindabella, the people’s maxi, owned by CYCA member Jim Cooney, and nine-time Blue Water champion, Syd Fischer and his TP52
A leading maxi at the time, Apollo went on to take line honours and first place overall under the IOR rule. Among the famous yachtsmen who sailed in that first race was Jock Sturrock, who skippered Gretel in Australia’s first challenge for the America’s Cup in 1962.
The CYCA’s prestigious Blue Water Pointscore Series (BWPS), commences with the 384 nautical mile Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The BWPS is a six-race series, with the champion to be crowned at the conclusion of the 628 nautical-mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The 2011 Blue Water champion, Darryl Hodgkinson and his competitive Beneteau 45 Victoire (pictured), will return to defend his title. Speaking about his 2011 win, Hodgkinson said: "The battle for points was always going to be hard fought -- I’m still getting over winning the Series."
The Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht takes the fleet from the Nielsen Park start line, down the Harbour and out through Sydney Heads, before turning left to head to the finish line off Main Beach at Southport, on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Entry can be completed online until 1700 hours on Friday 15 July by logging on to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au/editorial.asp?key=4366
Photos: Andrea Froncolini.
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