Having a breather

Layday at Hamilton Island as crews prepare for gusty weather tomorrow

A gusty 15-25 knot south east wind promises to provide the record 207 yacht fleet with testing racing conditions when they compete for championship points in the Hamilton Island Hahn Premium Race Week series tomorrow. After a weekend of racing Monday is a layday with the performance division next tackling some windward leeward courses on Tuesday.

Some crews unloaded their light wind sails when the first signs of the strong winds blew over a warm and sunny Hamilton Island earlier today.

Correct sail selection will be a paramount tactical issue in the boat on boat match racing for the Grand Prix IRC championship.

Championship leader Loki cleverly skippered by her owner Stephen Ainsworth of Sydney has shown she can handle the ruff stuff when she won the first race of the International Hog’s Breath Race Week in winds which gusted above 35 knots.

The wind will not reach that velocity but they will present ideal conditions for Loki and her match racing 18m. rivals Wild Joe (Steven David) and Vanguard (Dick Cawse) who presently hold the leading three places overall.

Loki launched in June as a serious challenger for handicap honours in the 2005 Rolex Sydney-Hobart race has proved she has the speed to be competitive in shorter course racing with her 2-4 score to lead the Steven David skippered Admirals Cup champion Wild Joe 3-6 and Richard Cawse’s Vanguard 5-9.

All three high performance crews who are sure to become involved in a boat on boat mate against mate match race over the 12 n/ml windward leeward courses are jointly listed as the favourites to win on corrected handicap while Neville Crichton’s 30 m super maxi Alfa Romeo will continue to dominate the line honours in a one sided match race against Bob Oatley’s 20.1m Wild Oats.