Williamstown to Geelong race record looks safe
by Rob Kothe on 26 Jan 2007
Skandia breaks Passage record at Skandia Geelong Race Week 2006 Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
The Skandia Geelong Week fleet heads down to Geelong's Corio Bay today. The light wind forecast for the historic Australia Day race, the 34 nautical mile Williamstown to Geelong passage means that the race record set last year by Grant Wharington’s Skandia looks safe.
With winds gusting to 25 knots, Wharington’s canting keeled super maxi Skandia powered down the course in one hour 40 minutes and 17 seconds to slash 51min 56sec off his old record which he set in 2003 with his 83ft Australian Skandia.
Bob Oatley’s dual Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner, Wild Oats XI is faster than Skandia, but neither boat will like this morning’s Bureau of Meteorology forecast of variable winds 5 to 10 knots at first then winds tending west to southwesterly during the morning.
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks will fire the starting cannon at 9:30am and the starting line congestion for the massive fleet in light conditions is likely to be significant.
Good news though for the smaller boats in the 300+ boat fleet as winds are expected to freshen up to 15 to 20 knots this afternoon.
The forecast for Saturday, when the Skandia Geelong Week fleet will be racing in Corio Bay is for southwest winds increasing to 20 to 30 knots during the early morning and then easing to 15 to 20 knots at night.
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