Racing off Newcastle. Image copyright Audi/Andrea Francolini
by Lisa Ratcliff
Three
drama-filled short course races off Newcastle’s Nobbys beach
cracked the lid on the prestigious Audi IRC Australian
Championship.
Winds S-SE up to 23 knots and choppy seas
created plenty of challenges for crews and tonight multiple torn
sails are being patched up and other damage repaired.
A
world-class fleet has come to Newcastle to contest the pinnacle IRC
handicapped yachting event in Australia. Boats of all sizes from 30
to 60 feet are racing in three divisions and come Sunday the overall
winner of each will be declared the Audi IRC Australian champion for
2014.
In
Division A Karl Kwok’s TP52 Team Beau Geste sailing for the Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club with a mostly hot shot Kiwi crew opened its
quest for the Aussie national title strongly and tonight leads Tony
Kirby’s Ker 46 Patrice by one point overall. Team Beau Geste is the
foreigner among the fleet and every opposition crew wants to prevent
the national trophy leaving Australian shores.
Beau Geste. Image copyright Audi/Andrea Francolini
Bob
Steel’s TP52 Quest suffered sail damage but still managed decent
results to be third overall after three windward/leewards. The crew
of Mick Martin’s local boat Frantic is working late tonight
following a major spinnaker tangle around the forestay.
The
most expensive day out belonged to Yachting Australia president Matt
Allen and Ichi Ban; one brand new blown spinnaker then engine and
electric winch failure at the next mark. The end result of that
malfunction was the 60-footer’s replacement kite dragging under the
boat.
Ichi Ban disappeared off the course to sort out the mess and was back for the last two races but in slow mode, due to the same mechanical issues. “With the one discard allowed we decided it was better to complete the last two races, even with a broken wing,” said helmsman Gordon Maguire. “We live to fight another day…there is plenty left in this battle.” On board Ichi Ban is Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby as tactician.
Ichi Ban disappeared off the course to sort out the mess and was back for the last two races but in slow mode, due to the same mechanical issues. “With the one discard allowed we decided it was better to complete the last two races, even with a broken wing,” said helmsman Gordon Maguire. “We live to fight another day…there is plenty left in this battle.” On board Ichi Ban is Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby as tactician.
Ichi Ban. Image copyright Audi/Andrea Francolini
In
division B Rob Reynolds’ Exile and Bob Cox’s sistership Nine
Dragons DK46s are one and two on the progressive pointscore. The pair
shadowed each other for most of the day and Reynolds reckons their
unending ding-dong is one design racing in a sense. “It makes for
better racing all round,” he declared this evening.
Third is the defending Audi IRC division B Champion, Bruce McCraken’s Beneteau 45 First Ikon, all the way from Hobsons Bay Yacht Club in Victoria.
Third is the defending Audi IRC division B Champion, Bruce McCraken’s Beneteau 45 First Ikon, all the way from Hobsons Bay Yacht Club in Victoria.
Division
B has a new player. Craig Neil’s imported Judel Vrolijk Elena Nova,
which is essentially a 42-foot version of a TP52. Dual Sydney Hobart
winner Andrew Pearson is skippering the new Middle Harbour Yacht Club
boat for its first major regatta and today Neil’s “team of
athletes” pulled and eased ropes, hoisted and dropped sails and
threw this very physical and powerful yacht around the course with
minimal fuss.
Roger
Hickman’s Wild Rose has begun its campaign for the double of IRC
state champion and Australian champion with flair, the almost 30
year-old boat with its proud offshore history right at home in the
lumpy conditions and decent breezes. Wild Rose leads division C ahead
of Phil Dash’ Justadash and the Howard family’s local boat
Schouten Passage in third.
Elena Nova. Image copyright Audi/Andrea Francolini
On
Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club winning the right to stage the Audi IRC
Australian Championship Andrew Doyle, managing director of Audi
Australia, had this to say, “The decision to host the 2014 Audi IRC
Australian Championship in Newcastle sends a strong message to the
sailing community that both Audi and Yachting Australia are looking
for world-class competition on courses that offer excellent sailing
conditions.”
“We
are looking forward to some very spirited on-water action during the
Championship, and with the forecast over the Easter weekend it looks
like spectators and sailors alike will be rewarded with outstanding
sailing conditions in Newcastle.”
The
Championship fleet has an earlier start tomorrow, 0930hrs south of
Nobbys Light. Division A has a 63 nautical mile long distance race
and divisions B and C a 30 nautical mile race. A variety of courses
over the four-day series offers boats with different strengths a
chance to play their A game at different times.
