Trade wind forecast favours golden oldies
by Ian Grant 17 Mar 2008 07:50 GMT
21 March 2008
A forecast of moderate to fresh spinnaker sailing South East winds could favour the smaller well sailed sloops Saltash II, Wistari and Pagan to record a race winning corrected handicap course time in the 60th Brisbane-Gladstone Race over the Easter weekend.
Their crews remained confident when the trade wind continued to gust over the race course earlier today with the wind recorder at Lady Elliot Island registering 21 to 32 knots while gusts between 22-32 knots were recorded at Cape Moreton and 25-30 at Double Island Point.
Naturally there was an element of caution as the 65 crews continued to monitor the weather system while making final preparations for the 11am start on Good Friday morning (March 21st).
Predictably Bill and Ian Wright the co-owners and joint skippers of Saltash II were pleased to see the grey clouds roll across their Brisbane River boatyard signalling that the trade wind which has tormented the Queensland coast since New Year’s Day was here to stay.
Peter Kerr skipper of Pagan and Wistari helmsman Scott Patrick were similarly pleased with the weather map.
Pagan mastered a strong wind warning to win in 1964 while the Gladstone sloop Wistari sail surfed on a building groundswell to claim her first of four wins in 1971 however Saltash II holds the title as the undisputed Gladstone Race champion with a power sailing performance to win the prestigious Courier-Mail Cup on eight occasions including five wins over the last nine years.
All three skippers and their crews while being happy with the chance to contest another fast race are aware that there is no margin for error particularly in this race which has attracted a high standard fleet including the 2006 winner Corum (Mike Balkin) the 2007 Audi IRC Australian champion Alegria (Rod Jones) and the power sailing New South Wales yachts Ichi Ban (Matt Allen) and Quantum Racing (Ray Roberts).
Ichi Ban the 2007 line honours champion which has recorded a peak of 33 knots in fresh spinnaker sailing winds remains as the favourite to win the Gladstone Pacific Nickel line honours trophy.
There is also a strong chance that the Ichi Ban crew who completed the course in 22 hours 20 minutes 45 seconds last year could beat Skandia’s 2004 20 hour 24 minute 50 second record by crossing the Auckland Pt finish line before 7-24-50 on Saturday morning.
More information at www.brisbanetogladstone.com.au