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Running the Rhumblines - by Ian Grant - 2008/07/28 16:23
RUNNING THE RHUMBLINES.
By Ian Grant.
Champion Sydney blue water racing skipper Ray Roberts continued to firm his chance to win the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week IRC class trophy with an outstanding performance in the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast race.
His exciting New Zealand built Cookson 50 Quantum Racing expressed her speed potential to win line honours in the tactically demanding 348 nautical mile coastal passage race with a 9.1 knot average.
This result follows on from an equally convincing win in the 308 n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone race last Easter and suggests both skipper and his experienced crew including master tactician Steve McConaghy, Bruce Anson and Gary Adshead will set the pace off Airlie Beach from August 14-21.
Both skipper and crew have collectively proved Quantum Racing to be Australia’s fastest and most successful 15.2m offshore racing sloop and this form already suggests they could repeat their 2006 Whitsunday regatta double by winning the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and the prestigious Audi Hamilton Island Race Week titles.
However while Quantum Racing has the proven speed to set the bench mark her crew will still face a supreme test starting in the opening race for the Meridien Marinas trophy off Airlie Beach on Thursday August 14.
Their challenge to select the faster tactical sailing options is expected to come from the almost identical sister designs Michael Hiatt’s Victorian Cookson 50 Living Doll and New Zealand’s equally fast Anatole Masfen helmed Pussy Galore.
Theoretically all three yachts have the design potential to race in the same space which places a demand on the crews to sail smart with the wind that blows over the deck.
Eliminating the most minor sail handling and tactical glitches will be critical in determining not only the line honours result but also the more important corrected handicap course time.
All three impressively fast Cookson 50’s will be placed on notice when they line up against a very competitive fleet including the defending champion the Geoff Pearson skippered Archambault 35 Arajilla and the maiden Airlie Beach Race Week entries Flirt skippered by Melbourne’s Chris Dare and unraced Beneteau First 45 helmed by Graham Jones from Port Douglas.
This clash which has the potential to become intensely competitive setting another high standard of IRC class racing on the warm tropical waters of the Whitsunday Passage while interest will also focus on a proposed match race for the ‘Cruising in Whites’ championship between Whitsunday Sailing Club skippers Mick Phillips and Lachlan Wilson.
Mick Phillips will enter the tactical fray as a marginal favourite with his Spencer 30 Shearwater but he will need to remain aware that Wilson’s equally respected Golden Oldie the Clansman Felicity has the racing record to be a worthy challenger.
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