There’ll be a Tough Battle on for the Overall Win
By CYCA Event Media
March 24, 2009. |
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It’s
tight at the top of the leader board in the CYCA’s Blue
Water Pointscore - with only 5 points separating Mr Beaks Ribs,
AFR Midnight Rambler and Ragamuffin, a strong performance in
the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht race is vital in deciding
who the overall champion will be. Could Syd Fischer’s
Ragamuffin win the Blue Water Championship for a record tenth
time? All will be revealed at the conclusion of the Audi Sydney
Offshore Newcastle Race. |
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Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas who won the
1998 Hobart with a previous AFR
Midnight Rambler will race in the Audi Sydney
Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race with their modified Farr
40 of the same name, seen here after the start of the
2008 Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht race.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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The battle for the IRC Overall Winner for the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race is a tough one to call. Given the right conditions there are several yachts that could be crowned the overall winner of the race.
Syd Fischer, the current CYCA Blue Water Champion, and his crew onboard Ragamuffin have campaigned strongly throughout the summer season. Given that he is the defending champion of line honours and overall win from the inaugural Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, the spritely 81 year old will put up a strong fight for the overall win.
Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki is also another yacht to watch. Having hit the water just a week before the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Loki has performed strongly in every race she has been entered into including podium finishes in Skandia Docklands Invitational (1st) and Skandia Geelong IRC Division 1 (3rd), and Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta (3rd). |
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Syd Fischer's TP52 Ragamuffin seen
here after the start of the 2008 Sydney to Gold Coast
Yacht race, will be chasing a good result in the Audi
Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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Not to be discounted are Graeme Wood’s Wot Now and Wot Yot, who have been sparring partners with Ragamuffin and Loki throughout the CYCA Summer Series 2008/09 Pointscore Series, and have put in strong performances in the Rolex Trophy, Rolex Sydney Hobart, Skandia Geelong Week and Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta.
Rob Hanna’s Cookson 50 Shogun, the lone Victorian entry, is also one yacht that should be watched with Andrew Short’s Andrew Short Marine Shockwave 5 shaping up as the line honours favourite. |
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Stephen Ainsworth's Reichel
Pugh 62 Loki, seen here
in Sydney Harbour during the 2008 SOLAS Big Boat Challenge,
will be racing in the Audi
Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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There has been some movement in the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race list of entries which has resulted in Patrice Six and Krakatoa II being withdrawn from the 213 nautical mile Category 2, leaving a fleet of 24 to contest the final race of the CYCA’s 2008-09 offshore season.
Wayne Sanders, Dealer Principal, Audi Gallery Newcastle will have the honour of starting the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, using the CYCA’s historic 19th century replica cannon, at 12 noon on Friday 27 March.
A quality fleet of 24 will take to the start line just off Nielsen Park for the second race to Newcastle. The fleet will head north to a laid mark south east of Crowdy Head on the mid NSW north coast and then return back to Newcastle, finishing in the Hunter River. |
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David Beak's Beneteau First 44.7 Mr
Beaks Ribs, will be racing in the Audi
Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race and seen here
after the start of the 2008 Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht
race.
Photo © Peter Andrews.
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For a list of yachts entered in the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race and to follow the fleet’s progress via Yacht Tracker following the noon start, go to the official race site http://sydneynewcastle.cyca.com.au |
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