A Superior Sail For Gomez In Calm Bay

The Age

Tuesday December 27, 2005

By DAN OAKES

MELBOURNE received its first taste of the post-Christmas sailing season yesterday when Gomez overcame slack winds to win the Cock of the Bay race.

Bullistic and Smooth Criminal made up the minor placings, giving the Sandringham Yacht Club a Boxing Day trifecta.

Due to the benign conditions, race organisers had considered shortening the race, but the wind picked up later in the day and Gomez, skippered by Steve Chiodo, was able to take full advantage.

The annual event, which runs between Port Melbourne's Station Pier and Blairgowrie, is the warm-up for the Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Launceston races, both of which start from Portsea at 4pm today.

The bluewater races begin late in the day so the entrance to the bay can be safely navigated.

The boats head across to Queenscliff, then turn and pass through the heads, after which the fleet will split in two.

There is a smaller-than-usual fleet of 12 boats contesting the 34th Hobart race after dreadful conditions wrought havoc in last year's event. Only four boats, including Quetzalcoatl, the line honours winner and one of this year's favourites, mastered the nine-metre seas and 50-knot winds to finish the 480-nautical-mile race.

Although the race plays second fiddle to the Sydney to Hobart in the publicity stakes, the route around the rugged west coast of Tasmania has led to it being described as Australia's most challenging event.

The race record is 47 hours 15 minutes, set by Future Shock in 1996, but predicted north-westerly winds mean that mark is expected to fall this year, with Helsal II, Gusto and Quetzalcoatl the boats most likely set a new record.

Twenty-seven boats will battle for honours in the Launceston race, in which father-son team Ken and Tristan Gourlay took line honours last year after all but three of the field of 25 withdrew because of the weather conditions.

The favourites this year to take line honours in the 198-nautical-mile race are Volante and Magic Carpet.

FACTBOX

Melbourne to Hobart yacht race

1st race: 1972

Distance: 480 nautical miles

2004 winner: Quetzalcoatl, 113 hours 14 minutes

Race record: Future Shock, 1996, 47 hours 15 minutes

Biggest fleet: 1996, 74 boats

This year: 12 boats

© 2005 The Age

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