Heavy weather takes its toll

As the other Sayer 12m race leaders is force to limp home in two handed Melbourne-Osaka race

At 3.31am Diane Sayer received a call from her husband Jon to advise that RYU-JIN –fgi, the race leader in the Melbourne Osaka double-handed yacht race had incurred rudder damage, possibly hitting something, as the bottom of the rudder had been damaged.

Owner of the new Sayer 12m, Murray Bucknall, was on the helm at the time. Their position was between Cato and Wreck Reef, about 260 miles offshore when the incident occurred.

Both Race Director Kevin Wilson and AMSA (Australian Marine Safety Authority) were notified and the yacht is being monitored. At the time of Sayer’s call, they were in about 35 knots of breeze. Jon said he would try to get back to Gladstone and that it would take him a couple of days to get into port.

At about 3.35 am, Diane says: "I received a call from Kevin Wilson to say that RYU-JIN - fgi was limping back to Gladstone at about 4 knots boat speed. Wilson has since said the boat will head for either Gladstone or Bundaberg to assess the damage.

"Jon and Murray are both devastated as they were trying so hard to do well in the race," Diane Sayer says. However, Bucknall and Sayer, from Southport in Queensland, have not retired from the race, and will make a judgement once they have inspected the damage.

Only yesterday, Sayer, a man with a very dry sense of humour who has been on the podium in his three Melbourne-Osaka races to-date reported: "Blowing up to 32 knots and a bit hairy for two. We need to make a few repairs when weather better - pro dder rope stretched….lost an eye lash??

And discussing Saturday: "It was blowing dogs off chains, decided to get spinnaker down and rest. 18ks of boat speed for 6 minutes straight!

"Very tired and weak, hard work. Need bigger hatch area, as Murray misses when throwing food out…..instrument covers work well (covered in food). Boat goes well .

"PS Murray fell on my new glasses. The bleeding will stop soon - where I hit him with the winch handle!"

In other news, Jock and Hamish MacAdie, a father and son team from Melbourne this morning reported to Kevin Wilson they had a broken boom and were assessing the situation. They had sailed hard, catching up some miles on RYU-JIN – fgi and were in second place at the time of the incident. 

Esoterica (Campbell Reynolds/David Best) also reported sail damage and are currently discussing which port to go into for repairs. Fortunately, they are sailing close to shore in vicinity of Byron Bay on the NSW North Coast.

Just behind Alex, Patrick Giudice/Brian Pattinson on the Open 60 Gusto continue racing, with COCORIN interland (Itaru Matsunaga/John Bankart) just nine miles astern with Runaway (James Ryssenbeek/Andrew McCole), Tamagomalu (Makoto Hisamatsu/Jimmi Doherty, Dekadence (Phil Coombs/Peter Walsh) and Hullabaloo (Jim and Joe O’Keeffe) next best and150 plus miles behind Gusto, sailing south of Maryborough in Queensland. 

The latter four are enjoying a race within a race, fanned out in a line not too far out from the coast. Runaway's crew has done a great job getting back up among it following a call into Sydney for a quick repair..

Jimmi Doherty reported from Tamagamolu last night: "We are having a ball and enjoying passing a few boats along the way.  We are doing 14-15 knots downwind, but drop off to nine at times.  We are off Point Danger about to enter sunny Queensland.

"Makoto can’t get the grin off his face - he’s clocked up the best boat speed so far - 19½ knots.  We are heading out crossing the current; it’s very strong, but we’re both happy about our position in the race."

The rest of the fleet is in good shape, perhaps reducing sail and taking things a little more carefully in the in the big winds and 3-4 metre swell Tamagomalu reported overnight.

Tom Crabb/Trent Justice (Southern Light) are back in the race this morning following repairs to their rudder gudgeon in Ulladulla. According to the tracker are just north of Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast on an easterly heading.

Developments will be brought to you as they come to hand.