Victory for the oldies

Ian Grant reports on the Brisbane to Gladstone race

Old ocean racing yachts Saltash 11, Pagan, Wistari, and Scampi A rested proudly at the moorings in Gladstone’s Auckland Creek today after claiming the major honours in the 57th Brisbane to Gladstone race over the Easter weekend.

Saltash 11 a modified 39 year old Yachting World Diamond class sloop mastered an unpredictable weather system including calms and 40 knot squalls spiced with water spouts to claim her seventh win on corrected handicap.

The baby 9.39m ocean racer expertly sailed by her crew of Ian and Bill Wright, navigator Peter Cavill, Trent Rowell and Tony Reik claimed the 57 year old Courier - Mail Cup with a 1hr 38min 4sec win over the 41 year old Tasman Seabird class sloop Pagan (Peter Kerr) while four times winner the 40 year old Gladstone yacht Wistari (Scott Patrick) finished another 14 minutes 9 seconds astern.

Jim O’Hare completed the triumph for the veteran yachts when he helmed the 33 year old 9.m Peter Norlin designed Scampi A into fourth place just ahead of the Sydney to Mooloolaba race winner Anthony Paterson in the Mumm 30 Tow Truck.

As expected all of the faithful old sloops finished some hours behind the defending 2004 corrected handicap champion the Sydney 'Pocket Rocket’ skippered by Sean Langman.

Skipper Langman again set the corrected time benchmark when he and the AAPT crew claimed their fourth line honours win with a 35-08-53 course time to beat Heaven Can Wait (Peter Hollis) and the impressive 9.6m ‘maxi chaser’ The Cone of Silence (James Paul) on Saturday night.

However Langman who enjoyed a spray drenching ride to victory with a 20-36-48 race time last Easter had accepted defeat when he stepped ashore on Easter Saturday night.

“The little boats will be hard to beat and good luck to them,” Langman said.

His prediction was confirmed when Saltash 11 finished over 10 hours later to claim her seventh win in the past 19 races.