25th annual Pittwater & Coffs Race - Update

The challenging sailing conditions overnight in the 2006 Pittwater Coffs race have turned the handicap leader board on its ear. With boats finding new and slower ways to navigate the windless holes on the mid-North Coast.

Bob Oatrley's Wild Oats X remains the race leader, at the 7am radio sked she was seven miles ahead of Stephen David's Wild Joe, 8 miles south east of Camden Haven, leads the IRC Division A on handicap from Mark Richard's skippered Wild Oats with Nigel Holman's Sydney 39CR Cuckoo's Nest in third place.

Bill Ebsary's Beneteau 44.7 Le Billet, along with Cuckoo's Nest was a beneficiary of the parking lot at Seal Rocks as they sailed up to Sibby and Ivan's Newcastle entry Funnel Web, who last night had sailed well to be fourth overall.

Just behind Funnel Web, more of the bigger boats, Richard Hudson's Pretty Woman, the Kiama entry, Colin Wilson's Lyon's 49 Never a Dull Moment and Rod Skellett's Farr 40 Andrew Short Marine, were caught by the smaller boats. As a result these faster boats are languishing at the bottom of the handicap leader board.

The entire Sydney 38 fleet has sailed into the same hole. At the 7:05am radio sked at one mile square tea-towel would cover them all. Dr. Daryl Hodgkinson must have had tears running down his cheeks, last night as his Uplift was sailing her best ever race, but now her competitors have caught her and the race starts again.

In Division C Paul Clitheroe's Beneteau 40.7 Balance has bounced into the lead, ahead of Jim King and Bruce Staples Murray 37 Dark and Stormy Witch. Third is Victorian sailor Phil Bedlington, RBYC's Under Capricorn. Fifth is Sydney 32 National Champion, Martin Cross' 'If'.

Sir Robbo, the veteran Queensland boat builder, Robert Robertson is fifth on his Bavaria Match 42 Monkey Magic. The Dufour cruiser, Moody Cliffo, sailed by Port Stephen's sailor Mark Clifton is eight in this division.

Stephen Thomas' Cookson 12 Blackadder, already leading the Performance Handicap Division A fleet after the first four races last Thursday and Friday on Pittwater's Palm Beach Circle is this morning leading the Division in the long race. John McConaghy's Second Time Around sailed around the parked fleet this morning into second place, but has then reparked herself south of Charlotte Head.

Jim Wiseman's Radford 16 Slingshot is fourth ahead of Stephen Brown's Coffs Harbour entry B52. Coffs Harbour's Peter Orr has sailed his Young 11 Slippery When Wet into 10th place in the same division. Mark Benson's Elliott 10.5 High Anxiety is 12th.

In PHS Division 2 Phil Harvey's Pucker UP, just southeast of Seal Rocks is ahead of Jack's Back, Keith Baker's Etap 37, bringing the south wester up from Broughton Island.

Just as the fleet has changed over the last 25 years, so have the sponsors and the event publicity.

For three consecutive years two resorts in Coffs Harbour 'Pelican Beach Resort Australis and Quality Resort Nautilus' have sponsored the very popular Solitary Island Race and awarded winners with a weeks accommodation.

This years event also brings onboard two new supporting sponsors SeaSpray Magazine one of New Zealand's longest running titles and now fully international. SeaSpray is a high quality 'coffee table' publication that surpasses even some of the most lavish international publications. While SeaSpray is sold internationally in selected and highly targeted retail outlets, it is primarily a subscription-based magazine.

Along with SeaSpray is Yachtworld.com the Internet's leading online boat sales marine publication containing the largest photo database of new and used power and sailboats for sale and charter on the World Wide Web.

The official event airline carrier is QantasLink who offer all crew members, family and friends of the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Series discounted flights from Sydney to Coffs Harbour and vis versa.