Big First-time Contingent Sailing North to the Gold Coast

Of the 67 Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race entries received by the CYCA by the 5.00pm deadline this afternoon, at least 15 are first time competitors in this event, the opening race of the 2003-2004 offshore racing season.

At the big end of town, two Volvo 60s, Andrew Short Marine djuice (Andrew SHORT) and Magnavox 2UE (Sorensen, Hodder, Gray, Zemanek) will make their Gold Coast Race debut as will Ludde INGVALL’S 80-foot former Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours winner Luna Park Sydney (formerly Nicorette).

The biggest threat to a line honours win for one of these three newcomers is Sean LANGMAN’S 65-foot skiff Grundig, first over the line in the 2001 race, sailing with a reduced crew for maximum weight advantage.

Other new boats this year include two of the three Queensland boats entered, Richard WYATT’S Beneteau 47.7 Shere Khan and Stewart LEWIS’S Mumm 30 Enigma, as well as the Sydney 38 Eye Candy chartered by South Australian yachtsman Geoff BOETTCHER, one of 14 of these One Designs racing north.

The Farr 40OD Panther, bought by well-known Etchell and 16-foot skiff sailor Stephen O’ROURKE has just arrived in Sydney off a boat from Malaysia where it has been sailing as Paloma for the past 18 months. O’Rourke’s first sail on his new boat is planned for this Sunday in the BMW Sydney Winter Series, less than a fortnight out from the Gold Coast start date.

Fresh from its record-breaking circumnavigation of Australia is David PESCUD’S Lyons 52 KAZ, a regular in this mid-winter event. Four of the crew involved in the 6,500 nautical mile circumnavigation are backing up for this race, a 384 nautical miler that begins in Sydney Harbour on Saturday July 26 and finishes off Southport’s Main Beach.

Many other regulars make up the entry list including Syd FISCHER’S champion Farr 50 Ragamuffin, David TAYLOR’S Farr 37 Pippin, Randal Wilson’s PETERSON 51 Bright Morning Star and Martin JAMES’ modified Farr 65 Infinity III, with its new keel and rudder, reconfigured sail plan and full hull re-paint.

A number of former Sydney Hobart Race overall winners are amongst the fleet including the 1995 winner Terra Firma, now being sailed by Victorian yachtsman Nicholas BARTELS, brother of the former co-owner Peter BARTELS, and another Victorian boat Stratcorp Ninety-Seven (Chris DARE), the 1993 handicap winner.

Last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall winner and 2002-2003 IMS Blue Water Champion, Bob STEEL’S Nelson Marek 46 Quest, has also entered.

There is a strong interstate flavour to the fleet with one South Australian, three Queensland and five Victorian yachts joining the starting line-up, including David GOTZE’S Volvo 60 Indec, formerly the Sydney yacht Merit owned until recently by Ian and Andrea TRELEAVEN.

The race record for the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is 27 hours 35 minutes 03 seconds, set by Brindabella in 1999. Owner George SNOW hasn’t entered his multiple line honours winner in this year’s race, preferring to concentrate on the construction of his new boat.

This year’s Gold Coast Race, the eighteenth since the inaugural race in 1986, is also expected to be the last for Sean Langman’s current Grundig prior to commencing construction of a bigger and faster skiff-like maxi.

CYCA sailing manager Justine KIRKJIAN is delighted with the fleet size and in particular the interstate and one design representation within the fleet.

“The expanding Sydney 38 fleet as well as an increasing number of interstate skippers have recognised that as well as being a challenging coastal race in its own right, the Gold Coast Race is the perfect feeder to the popular Queensland regattas.”

Entries closed at 17:00 local time today however the Sailing Office may accept postal entries and late entries until July 18.

Provisional List of Entries as at 1700 hrs 11th July 2003