TROPICAL TRADE WINDS PERFECT FOR HOG’S BREATH RACE WEEK

by Ian Grant on 12 Aug 2001 Near perfect tropical 12-15 trade winds spiced with the odd gust to 20 knots and enough direction changes provided the record Hog’s Breath Race Week fleet with ideal yacht racing conditions in the Whitsunday Islands today.

All of the class competitors representing clubs from New Zealand, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland ports south of the Tropic Of Capricorn welcomed the chance to enjoy some t-shirt sailing in a creature friendly environment.

It proved to be a good day on the water for Tasmanian husband and wife sailors Harold and June Clark who co-skippered their race weary Hobart Farr 1104 Invincible to a nail-biting 5 second win in the IMS class over Ticket of Leave (Kevin Wood) of Victoria and the 1993 Sydney-Hobart line honours winner Ninety Seven (Graham Gibson) of New South Wales.

Bob Robertson skipper of the Queensland sloop Eureka took line honours from last years Telstra Sydney-Hobart race winner SAP Ausmaid (Kevan Pearce) of South Australia and Ninety Seven but placed his handicap winning chances in damage control with a course error on the first spinnaker leg.

In the Multihull class a critical spinnaker ‘wine-glass’ proved to be the difference between Hurford’s Hardwood (Bob Engwirda) Gold Coast and Keith Glover’s Trilogy during their exciting duel for class line honours.

Hurford’s Hardwood had power sailed to what appeared to be a winning break but a final gybe of the ‘Circus Tent’ size spinnaker allowed Trilogy to pip them on the mark and hold the advantage to win the class battle flag for race 1.

However both crews were outpaced for the fastest corrected time by Ross Blair’s Firefly from the Sunshine Coast who finished just over six minutes ahead of Trilogy with Bob Hutchings Sydney trimaran Voodoo Spirit another 5 minutes 38 seconds away third.

In other classes Airlie Beach skipper Bill Gleeson was rewarded with his labour of love to rebuild the wrecked Sterling Silver when he steered the re-named sloop Odyssey to a commanding Performance Handicap Division 1 win over Kiwi skipper Neville Seward in Lightspeed while Anteater skippered by Peter Neaves of Sydney.

Bill Bailey helmed Relish IV to a runaway 16 minute win in Division 11, taking a form grip on the important win with a good start and a cleverly sailed first triangle to beat Salty Dog (David Benning) and Spirit co helmed by Brad and Maryke Barker of Gladstone.