Race fleet enjoys downwind ride to Hobart; last to arrive overnight

• NEWS
• 30 Dec, 2007 05:42:00 PM

Race fleet enjoys downwind ride to Hobart; last to arrive overnight

Ray Roberts' Cookson 50, Quantum Racing has won IRC Division A for canting-keeled yachts over Matt Allen's Jones-designed Volvo 70 Ichi Ban with the Farr 98 maxi City Index Leopard (Mike Slade) in third.

With the US entry Rosebud declared the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall IRC handicap winner yesterday, divisional places within the fleet are being decided today with yachts finishing in Hobart under spinnakers before a gentle southeast breeze.

Ray Roberts' Cookson 50, Quantum Racing has won IRC Division A for canting-keeled yachts over Matt Allen's Jones-designed Volvo 70 Ichi Ban with the Farr 98 maxi City Index Leopard (Mike Slade) in third.

Rosebud, a Farr-designed STP65 owned by American Roger Sturgeon, won IRC Division B over Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer), a Farr TP52 with Yendys (Geoff Ross), a Reichel/Pugh 55, in third.

The hot new Reichel/Pugh 40 Chutzpah (Bruce Taylor), showing extraordinary downwind qualities in placing fourth overall behind Rosebud, Ragamuffin and Quantum Racing, has won IRC Division C over Bill Wild's Welbourn 42 Wedgetail, with the Rogers 46 Shogun (Rob Hanna) third.

David Beak's Mr Beaks Ribs, a Beneteau First 44.7, has won IRC Division D over the modified Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler, which is jointly owned by Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas.  They won the storm-ripped 1998 Sydney Hobart race with the little Hick 35 Midnight Rambler and had three crewmembers from that race sailing with them this year.

Mr Beaks Ribs, with a campaign managed by Ian Short, is lying second in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Blue Water Pointscore (after Graeme Wood's TP52 Wot Yot which placed fourth in IRC Division 1 in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race).  The downwind conditions that predominated for the race did not suit Mr Beaks Ribs, which is at her best upwind.

The ten-boat Sydney 38 one-design division is still to be decided.

IRC Division E is still being decided among the 11 yachts in that division still at sea.

Sailors With disABILITIES, David Pescud's Lyons 54, has won PHS (performance handicap) Division A over Toyota Aurion V6, the former Brindabella (Andrew Short), with the Volvo 60 DHL - the Daily Telegraph, skippered by Tornado silver and bronze Olympic gold medalist Mitch Booth, third.  PHS Division B is still being decided among the eight division yachts still racing.

The sole Cruising Division yacht, Michele Colenso's Capriccio of Rhu is currently due across the line in the early hours of Dec 31.

Eighty-year-old Lou Abrahams, owner/skipper of the Sydney 38 Challenge, sailing his 44th Sydney Hobart race to equal the record of the late John Bennetto, said on his dockside arrival that this would be his last.

Abrahams, who has had health issues to deal with in recent years, truly loves being at sea. He skippers his boat on delivery voyages up and down the east coast of Australia from his homeport in Melbourne to contest all the major races, from Hobart to Hamilton Island in far north Queensland. He has twice won the Sydney Hobart, in 1983 and 1989.

He has remained competitive in the Sydney 38, the smallest yacht he has owned, with the help of a strong young crew. Last year Challenge finished third overall and won the Sydney 38 class (and in 2005 as well).  This year he had a disappointing 34th place finish overall and was fifth in the Sydney 38 division.

On arrival, he said he had spent much of the time below navigating and had been more of a passenger than a participant and he would not compete again: "I'll miss it; a lot of sailing, a lot of friends and a lot of enjoyment."

In this most benign Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in recent years, only three yachts retired: Andrew Buckland's Mr Kite with a broken rudder, Alex Whitworth's Berrimilla with a spinnaker wrapped around the forestay, and Alan Whiteley's TP52 with a broken chainplate.  From the fleet of 79 left, 53 had finished by midday and 26 were still racing.

Cruise-like conditions have continued today with sunshine and light winds, between east to south, allowing the yachts to finish under spinnakers.  The wind is forecast to move further east and freshen to 10-20 knots later in the day. - KPMS