Mooloolaba Yacht Club blue water racing rivals Bob Robertson and Ken Down will ‘square off’ for a private tactical match race in the First Tax Duty Free Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race over Easter.
Both skippers are set to race in almost identical high performance Farr 40 class yachts where the separation in boat speed and success is determined by the combined human element energised skills of skipper and crew.
As to be expected personal pride will intensify over the coming weeks with both skippers individually prepared to back their Gladstone race experience when the aquatic ‘arm wrestle’ officially begins off the historical Sandgate Pier at 11am on Good Friday April 2 and ends 308 nautical miles later off the entrance to Gladstone’s Auckland Creek.
Bob Robertson is no stranger to the challenge having steered Hot Prospect ll to third place in 1982 before claiming a popular overall win with Sellers Witchcraft ll in 1987.
Ken Down also possesses an impressive ocean racing log-book which includes racing with the Australian team who survived the savage torment from an unrelenting gale in the North Sea to win the 1979 Admirals Cup.
He also experienced a moment of triumph as a key crew member on the Mal Dawson skippered Mooloolaba sloop Hot Bubbles ll when they completed the 1979 Brisbane Gladstone classic with the impressive 30 hour 23 minute 44 second corrected course time to claim a provisional victory.
Unfortunately the Hot Bubbles ll crew won on the water but lost the chance to officially sip champagne from the prestigious winner’s trophy The Courier-Mail Cup when officials relegated them to 17th following a post race protest.
Naturally both skippers are intensely competitive and Ken Down is expected to show little respect for his Mooloolaba Yacht Club Commodore Bob Robertson when they enter the tactical mind games.
They are both good mates however that friendship is placed on hold when they step into the driving seat of their yachts.
“I’m expecting Cracklin Rosie will become a target for tactical attention”. Skipper Bob Robertson said.
His private match race against club-mate Ken Down (Bribie Star) will be a feature of the 62 year old blue water classic however both Sunshine Coast skippers will need to individually protect their sea space to win the top Farr 40 class award ahead of their Brisbane rivals elleven (David Elliott) and Howard Lambourne’s Lambourdini.
elleven presently holds the top ranking following an impressive performance in the Tracer Trac Surf to City race where she beat Bribie Star by 58 seconds while Cracklin Rosie claimed third 18 minutes 38 seconds ahead of Lambourdini.
All four yachts are very evenly matched and the result will be determined by the crew who have not only the experience but also the endurance to sail smart in the dark along the tactically demanding 256 nautical mile stretch of open ocean coastline between the Caloundra Fairway Buoy and Gatcombe Head then protecting the advantage over the tricky final 10 nautical miles to the finish.
By Ian Grant