Close Gladstone Race Line Honours win to Nortruss G Wizz

by Ian Grant on 23 Apr 2000 Mooloolaba Yacht Club sloop Nortruss G Wizz retained her Carlton Brisbane-Gladstone ocean race line honours title when she completed the 308 n/ml course shortly before dawn this morning.

This ended a tactical endurance test against unstable winds and a race long 41 hour 13 minute 25 second duel with arch rival Maynard Smith’s Cruz Control to win the prestigious trophy by the relatively close margin of 31 minutes 20 seconds.
Both yachts featured in a similar duel to decide the 1999 line honours title but their course time was much slower due to the unpredictable nature of the winds which varied between calm and 20 knots.

The 7.47 knot average speed was over 3 knots slower, however the Nortruss G Wizz crew were equally as happy to have secured their second line honours title in Queenslands major blue water classic.

Nortruss G Wizz co-skippered by Sunshine Coast husband and wife sailing team of Ross and Yvonne Rayner had to produce her best light wind performance to finish ahead of the equally well sailed Brisbane sloop Cruz Control co-skippered by the Gold Coast offshore sailors Maynard and Vicki Smith.

The smaller Sydney Farr 40 sloop Leroy Brown finished third shortly after six o’clock this morning to provisionally lead the race on corrected handicap times while the other 48 yachts which were spread over 100 miles faced a struggle against light winds at sea this morning.


By: Ian Stripey Grant

Date: Sunday, 23 April 2000