Big boats line up for Mooloolaba

Ian Grant looks at the form for next month race from Sydney

Admiral's Cup champion Wild Oats now racing under the name of Wild Joe with Steven David at the helm will be hoping for a wild wind forecast for the 2005 Sydney Mooloolaba race starting on Wednesday 19 March.

Wild Joe built on the Gold Coast by Azzura Custom Yachts has an impressive list of success in racing with original owner Bob Oatley winning the Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island followed by a record breaking line and handicap win in the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race before heading to England and winning the Admirals Cup.

The revolutionary sloop the first to race in Australia with the speed sailing canting keel technology is as her racing log suggests a very competitive performer in all wind and sea conditions.

Her crew which is likely to include the multiple World title winning skipper Iain Murray will be hoping for a strong to fresh southeast trade wind forecast to provide a ‘wild’ spinnaker surfing ride over the 469 nautical mile course to the finish off Mooloolaba’s Alexandra Headland.

If this forecast becomes a reality then the 11 year old 44-01-43 race record set by the George Snow skippered Brindabella in moderate to fresh trade winds in 1994 will be taken into a new time zone.

The line honours challenge this year rests with three radically different yachts including Grant Wharington’s former Wild Thing, the 25.6m Martingale (David Dicker), the John Woodruff helmed Volvo 60 Seriously TEN and Wild Joe all of which are capable of logging speeds above the race record average of 10.65 knots.

However the challenge will rest with the weather forecast and naturally all three skippers and crews are hoping for a fresh trade wind to blow for the 44 hours between 1pm on 19 March to 8-58 am on Friday 21 March to finish inside the record.

As expected the tactical battle to record the fastest corrected handicap time will also feature a number of very interesting duels between former Sydney-Hobart race champions Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas ( AFR Midnight Rambler), Geoffrey Ross ( Yendys) and Michael Spies ( First National Real Estate).

Their crews are well disciplined for the tactical challenge of racing between the narrow corridor that is defined by the Southerly Set offshore and first line of foaming surf inshore.

Yendys chances to retain the required handicap rated speed will be enhanced with her expected match racing duel with the Matt Allen’s former Australian IRC champion Ichi Ban. However Matt Allen will be tactically prepared for the ‘dog fight’ between the dueling 52ft (15.75m) class ocean sailing combinations following his giant killing performance to lead the highly competitive Farr 40 World championship of Sydney Heads on Tuesday.

The stage is also set for the race to feature another equally interesting duel between the Michael Spies skippered First National Real Estate, David Mason’s Prime Time and veteran Sunshine Coast skipper Bob Robertson in the Bavaria 42 Monkey Majic.

All three are listed among the top contenders with Ichi Ban, Yendys, Wild Joe and the Lake Macquarie ‘sprint machine’ Anthony Paterson’s Mumm 30 Tow Truck.