Hot fleet for Sydney-Gold Coast

At the close of entries for the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, a diverse fleet of 57 yachts are readying for the start on Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm on Saturday, July 26.

Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI and Anthony Bell’s Perpetual LOYAL will continue their head-to-head super-maxi line honours combat, but will have Queensland’s Black Jack to contend with too. Peter Harburg’s Volvo 70 finished third over the line in a thriller last year with few sea miles in the log as Harburg had just purchased and refitted the boat.

Defending overall winner, Brannew (Chris Bran), will not take part, leaving the gate wide open for many others contesting the annual 384 nautical mile coastal classic north.

Among contenders for the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy, awarded to the overall winner, is 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart victor, Victoire (Darryl Hodgkinson), Roger Hickman’s 29 year-old Wild Rose and Tony Kirby’s eight month old Patrice.

Hodgkinson, the 2012 Ocean Racer of the Year, went on to win the Gosford Lord Howe Island Yacht Race in April. Coming to grips with the canting-keel Cookson 50 he took possession of a year ago, and adding Mike Green, one of the best ocean racing helmsmen to his strong crew line-up, Hodgkinson is primed to at least defend his Division 0 win of last year’s Gold Coast race.

Roger Hickman, recently returned from contesting the Etchells Worlds in Rhode Island, is revved up to defend his BWPS title, one of five won to-date and the second with Wild Rose, the Farr 43 he affectionately refers to as his ‘old girl’.

Straight after launching his latest Patrice, a Ker 46, in November, Tony Kirby made the podium a few times before his yacht did not hold up to finish the Hobart. "It was shattering at the time, but it’s all better now," he offered. "I’ve straightened out a few issues and we’re a very settled crew now, so we’re looking forward to the race."

And while Kirby will sail the race against his previous yacht, Patrice Six, now in the hands of new owner, Shaun Lane from Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Paul Clitheroe will also test out his new purchase, the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Quest.

Interstate entries number nine, including Taswegians Robbie Fisher and Paul Mara with the famous Helsal 3 and Michael Pritchard with his Beneteau First 45, Audere, which will have company from Jason Ward’s same design Concubine from South Australia. Queensland and Victoria are each fielding three entries.  

The CYCA’s yacht tacker system will allow family, friends and yachting enthusiasts to follow the race and their favourite yachts for its duration. Each yacht will be fitted with a Yellowbrick tracker that will obtain a position using the GPS satellite network, and then transmit the position back to Yellowbrick HQ using the Iridium satellite network.

Each yacht’s position is then visualised on the race yacht tracker map, or overlaid on Google Earth. In addition, the yacht tracker system also shows distance to finish line andprogressive corrected time positions under the IRC, ORCi and PHS handicap divisions.

For more information go to http://goldcoast.cyca.com.au

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