CYCA receive surprise entry for Sydney to Mooloolaba Race

by Lisa Ratcliff on 1 Mar 2001 The second entry for this year's Forrester Properties Sydney - Mooloolaba Race has come as a surprise to race organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Mooloolaba Yacht Club.

Grant Wharington's 83-footer Wild Thing was to be shipped to Europe prior to April, thereby missing the 470 nautical mile race north to Queensland's Sunshine Coast, but Grant has since decided he and the crew need to spend more time on the boat in its new configuration before heading overseas.

'In the Hobart race we didn't get a lot of opportunities to try out our new sails because it was a flog all the way,' Wharington said today. 'Besides, we had to had to come back to defend our line honours title in the Mooloolaba Race,' he added.

Last year the then unmodified Wild Thing beat George Snow's Brindabella over the finish line by a mere seven minutes, setting a time of 2 days 17 hours 10 minutes and 56 seconds. The race record stands at 44 hours 01 minutes 43 seconds set by Brindabella in 1994.

This year's line honours winner will receive a trophy of a different kind, thanks to the latest Queensland company to throw their support behind this popular race, the final event of the 2000-2001 offshore racing calendar.

Steve Gregory from Power Dive International has offered a Deck Snorkel 12V diving system to the winning line honours skipper, as well as making his divers available to dig around the keels of the deep draft yachts once they have berthed at Mooloolaba Yacht Club.

Other supporters of the event include Forrester Properties, Maroochy Shire Council, Tourism Sunshine Coast, BRL Hardy Wine Company and PJ Burns builders.

Upon finishing the Sydney - Mooloolaba Race, Wharington will turn around and head straight back to Melbourne where the yacht will be shipped to the UK at the end of April for the America's Cup Jubilee at Cowes and the Fastnet Race.

For further information, please contact Lisa Ratcliff on 0418 428 511.