WIND SWING FORCES CHANGES TO RACE WEEK PROGRAM

by Ian Grant on 25 Aug 2000 Hahn Premium Race Week officials were forced to re-write the sailing instructions at Hamilton Island today, cancelling the Baynham Island race when another day of light winds prevented the fleet from sailing a fair course today.

Principal race officer Mark Robinson had a nightmare trying to establish a fair racing format when the wind swung left 110 degrees from a 5 knot North West breeze to fickle Easterly.

The first of two 8n/Mlle windward leeward races was in progress when the breeze broke left after Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing sailed the marginal shifts on the left to head the New Zealand Maxi Shockwave which converged from the right at the windward mark.

As expected the lead changed when Shockwave tacked away to a pressure line on the left drawing clear to score another runaway 5minute 48 second line honours and retain her undefeated record.

Bob Oatley’s Another Duchess won the corrected handicap while Martin James helmed Infinity 111 into second place just 9 seconds clear of Shockwave.

However Shockwave extended her lead in the overall Big Boat championship which will be finalised with the 23 n/ml Daydream Molle Island race tomorrow.

In other classes Laurie Needham’s Royal Papua Yacht Club sloop Midnight leads the Performance Handicap division from the New Zealand yacht Pretty Boy Floyd (Ross Martin) and Mal Richardson’s Port Douglas yacht Sportscar.

New Zealand Admirals Cup skipper Brett Neill helmed the Sydney 38 The E Business into the IRC class lead from the Sydney 36 Pamela C ( Col Crawford) and Wayne Kirkpatrick’s Asylum from Hamilton Island.

Meanwhile the former French Kiss America’s Cup sailor Pierre Gal helmed his Coffs Harbour based sports yacht C’Est La Vie to another win their class championship.

C’Est La Vie beat her Brisbane rival Buckle Up Spunky by 35 seconds with Phil Houghton’s New Zealand yacht Bohica another 5 minutes 24 seconds away third.

The win has sealed an unbeatable which Gal hopes to extend in the final race of the series over the 23 n/ml Mole Island race course tomorrow.