We have got a race on our hands!

• NEWS
• 27 Dec, 2003 07:12:00 AM

We have got a race on our hands!

Smaller boats dominating handicap positions; fleet now spread from Jervis Bay to Bermagui Island with the first boats expected to enter Bass Strait this afternoon.

At daybreak on the second morning of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, just half a mile separates each of the top three yachts in the race for line honours.

Skandia (Grant Wharington) is just edging out Zana (Stewart Thwaites) and only half a mile astern of Zana is Grundig AAPT, the 66-footer skippered by Sean Langman that is staying in close company with the super maxis that should have been well past her by now.

The front-runners are now past Bermagui and sailing in a variable southwest to southeast breeze that has freshened to 20-25 knots.

Will Oxley, the navigator on Skandia this morning spoke to the Rolex Media Centre while the crew were changing to a smaller headsail because of the stronger winds.

”We are short tacking down the coast with Zana and we have done quite well out of it,” he said.

“I think we will end up in a south east breeze and on the same tack with Zana. We are always conscious of where she is,” he added, referring to the two-boat race that has developed within the fleet of 56 yachts that began the 628 nautical mile race from Sydney Harbour yesterday afternoon.

The fleet is now spread from Jervis Bay to Bermagui Island with the first boats expected to enter Bass Strait this afternoon.

Handicap positions at the 0305 position report had the well-sailed Beneteau 40.7 First National Real Estate, skippered by Michael Spies, in first position ahead of Geoff
Ross’ new 52-footer Yendys and Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki.

Under IRC handicaps, Loki was holding first place on corrected time with First National in second and Bob Steel’s Quest in third while in PHS Division, Tony Williams’ Balmain Experience was leading Bright Morning Star (Randal Wilson) and David Pescud’s KAZ.

For eastern Bass Strait, the Bureau of Meteorology conditions is forecasting southwesterly winds of 15/20 knots increasing to 15/25 knots during the afternoon before easing a little tonight.