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  • 2005
  • Spinnaker start then its all on for a new Rolex Sydney Hobart record

Spinnaker start then its all on for a new Rolex Sydney Hobart record

Spinnaker start then its all on for a new Rolex Sydney Hobart record

The hundreds of thousands of spectators expected to line the shores of Sydney Harbour should see a spectacular spinnaker start when the 85 strong Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet sets out on Boxing Day. This morning, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Sean Carson forecast a light 5 to 10 knot South-Easterly breeze for Monday.

The hundreds of thousands of spectators expected to line the shores of Sydney Harbour should see a spectacular spinnaker start when the 85 strong Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet sets out on Boxing Day.   This morning, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Sean Carson forecast a light 5 to 10 knot South-Easterly breeze for Monday. 

Expect a very fast start as the maxis find the shortest route to the rounding mark and then settle into an early beat down the NSW coast.  But despite the initial southerly those skippers on the mid-sized and smaller boats who have been hoping for some tough early weather to slow down the fast 30metre canting keeled maxis Alfa Romeo, Wild Oats XI, AAPT and Skandia will be sorely disappointed.  There will be no southerly bash this time round. 

At the initial pre-race skippers briefing this morning, Carson told the competitors that by Monday afternoon the wind will swing to the North East, reaching15 to20 knots along the NSW coast and 20 to 25 knots in Bass Strait on Tuesday.

These are ideal conditions for the maxis.  These boats are very fast in even light airs and with only a light to moderate southerly they should open a big gap on the rest of the fleet in the light early beat to windward.   When the wind shifts to the north around five hours into the race they will pop their spinnakers somewhere down the New South Wales coast for what could amount to a drag race to Hobart.

With 20 to 30 knot winds behind them these big boats have the speed to smash Nokia’s 1999 record.  Much will depend on what time of the day the leaders enter the fickle Derwent River, but the skippers are very confident that this is the best forecast since Nokia rewrote the record in 1999. 

Sean Langman, skipper of AAPT told the media after the forecast “there’s a fantastic opportunity for the treble going in this race: line honours, the record and handicap, which we haven’t seen for some time.”

Indeed, it is quite possible that all the maxis could cross the line ahead of Nokia’s 1999 record, not just the race leader.

Certainly the forecast conditions do suggest that one of the maxis could win on handicap, especially since the Bureau forecasts a South to South West change in Bass Strait on Wednesday that could reach gale force for short periods.  By this time the maxis will be in Hobart, and the change could slow down the 50 and 60 footers that have been chasing them.

The change, though, should be short lived, with the wind veering back to the North North-West to give the smaller boats, between 10 and 15 metres, a push. 

The forecast appears well suited to AFR Midnight Rambler, the Farr 40 sailed by Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas, as well as Queenslanders Wedgetail and Heaven Can Wait.  And one of the smallest boats in the fleet, the Mumm 30 Tow Truck, is also a downwind flyer and should be delighted with this forecast.  The British crew on Hugo Boss would be smiling too.

Less happy will be the skippers of the more all round yachts like Yendys, Dekadence and Quantum Racing, who would have been hoping for some hard work to weather early in the race to peg back the maxis on handicap.

The maxi skippers, though, are all smiles.

“The ride promised by this forecast will be the best Christmas present I will ever get,” quipped Neville Crichton, owner of pre-race favourite Alfa Romeo.