2007 Melbourne Osaka double-handed yacht race - Preview
by Di Pearson 8 Jan 2007 09:59 GMT
Competitors mixed fortunes in lead-up to Melbourne-Osaka double-handed yacht race
A number of entrants in the 2007 Melbourne Osaka double-handed yacht race got in some early practice during major events over the Christmas period, with Melbourne’s Matt Hannaford the most prolific, taking line honours with No Fearr in the Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne Hobart Yacht Race.
Two other Osaka entries, David James/Rosie Colahan and Phil Coombs/Peter Walsh, competed in their double-handed configuration in the PHD division of 2006 Kidder Williams Melbourne Launceston Race.
Sailing Ingenue, their Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40, James and Colahan, who have been married for 10 years, achieved second overall from a fleet of 20 boats, while Dekadence placed 16th overall. The two crews were the only double-handed competitors in the race.
Three others entered the Rolex Sydney Hobart with mixed results. The Peter Mooney/Henry "Hank” Paterson entry Endorfin, a new Sydney 47CR, was the first casualty of the race, suffering a broken steering quadrant just after midnight on the first day.
"Conditions were fine," said Paterson, "quite moderate, blowing around 15-20 knots on a 2-3 metre swell. But with a 3 knot southerly set, it can make the water short and choppy and the shock on the loading can be quite horrendous, which probably contributed to our problem," he added.
"We’re OK though," interjected Mooney. "We made the decision to pull out because of crew safety – which is more important than pushing your boat. What made it difficult though," he said, "was the Radio Relay vessel had just told us we were leading our division and looking good overall – that hurt a bit."
Mooney launched his comfortable and stylish cruiser/racer earlier this year, finishing his maiden race, the Gosford Lord Howe Island Race, third overall and went on to a well performed fourth overall in the Bird Island Race contested by a glamour fleet consisting of Australia’s best ocean racing boats and crews.
Of the other two entries, Abracadabra faired better in the overall stakes, but Gusto got the better of her counterpart in line honours.
Abracadabra, James Murchison’s Tripp 47, finished 48th on line and 13th overall in the PHS class, and with James Francis, his crew for the Osaka, is sailing the return journey to Sydney double-handed as their qualifier for the 5,500 nautical mile race to Japan.
Gusto, the unusual looking Open 60 designed and raced by Australian John Biddlecombe in single-handed events from 2000 onwards, but now owned and skippered by Brian Pattinson and his double-handed partner Patrick Giudice, finished 24th on line and 15th overall in the PHS class.
However, it’s No Fearr, a Farr 39, that’s looking hot for the Melbourne-Osaka. Following a fierce battle with Tasmanian yacht Archie on the Derwent River, Hannaford steered his yacht to a thrilling and see-sawing Melbourne-Hobart line honour win. With his double-handed partner, Wil Anderson, their Melbourne-Osaka assault is looking good.
Hannaford gained and lost the lead a number of times during the west coaster, but got there in the end, commenting: “We had a plan to be first in and we had the jump on them and we knew we had the right boat for the conditions. It was like doing four races – conditions, the lead and boat places changed so many times.” Hannaford also finished third on line in the prior Entire Cock of the Bay race in Melbourne and is now second overall in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s Sovereign Series.
Meanwhile, Queenslander Ken Down has proudly launched his new Sayer 12m Wasabi – distinctive because of her colour. Down will have son Lucas as his Melbourne-Osaka companion and the two are looking forward to their first long sail when they undertake their qualifying miles after putting some finishing touches to their beautiful new yacht – a great Christmas gift for the two.
Raced every four years, there are now 23 confirmed starters for the Melbourne Osaka double handed yacht race which starts on March 25 off Station Pier on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Victoria.
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