Launceston to Hobart Race - Preview
by Peter Campbell 25 Dec 2016 18:20 GMT
27 December 2016
The Fork in the Road powering down the River Tamar in last year's Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race © Dane Lojek
World champion and Olympic sailor Gary Smith has an outstanding record when it comes to his favourite offshore yacht race, the National Pies 10th Launceston to Hobart which starts from Beauty Point on Tuesday 27 December.
Smith, skippering the New Zealand-designed, Tasmanian-built The Fork in the Road, a Bakewell White 45, has taken line honours five times and also won both line and overall handicap honours in one race.
This year, Smith and his dedicated crew will face their toughest opposition, with a record fleet of 47 starters and an improving rival, Peter Cretan's Martens 49 which chased The Fork in the Road all the way to Hobart last year.
The big fleet will face a challenge early in the race as the yachts sail down the River Tamar to Low Head, particularly where the river narrows between Clarence Point and George Town.
The start has been scheduled for 10.30am to coincide with the beginning of the ebb flow, and the port has been closed for the morning to avoid any clash with shipping.
This will be the 10th annual running of the 285 nautical mile offshore race around the norther-eastern and eastern coastlines of Tasmania, conducted by the Derwent Sailing Squadron with the co-operation on the Tamar Yacht Club.
Including The Fork in the Road, the 10th annual Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race has attracted five past winners.
Jeff Cordell's Mumm 36 B&B Advantage won the inaugural race in 2007, sailing as Host Plus Executive, taking both line and handicap honours.
Footloose, Stewart Geeves and Kaye Roberts' Young 88 was overall winner in 2010 while Masquerade, Tony Harman's Morgan 35 won the following year.
In 2013, The Fork in the Road took line honours and first place overall and in 2014 broke the race record with a time of 1 day 12 hours 48 minutes and 35 seconds.
The Tasmanian-designed and built Knoop 32, Steelin' Time (Allan Warren) won in 2014 and in 2015 handicap honours went to a French designed and built boat, Paul Einoder's Beneteau Oceanis 34, Off-Piste.
Other yachts with excellent prospects of an overall win this year include Emotional Rescue, Michael Hutchinson's Hobie 33, Absolut, Richard Gates's Archambault 35 from Melbourne, Filepro, a Lyons 40 skippered by Darren Clark, Silicon Ship, David Wyatt and Gordon Clark's Knoop 31, Wild West, Michael and Michelle Denney's Bakewell White Z39 and Winstead Wines, Neil Snare's Northshore NX38.