By Ian Grant.
Winning two Audi Australian IRC ocean racing championships in three years has not satisfied the competitive spirit of Mooloolaba Yacht Club skipper Rod Jones.
He has sold the high performance Archambault A40 racer /cruiser class sloop Alegria which Rod Jones and the Sunshine Coast based Oceanburo racing team skilfully piloted to win the 2009 National championship to prominent Keppel Bay Sailing Club skipper Tim McCall.
McCall has renamed the yacht Arcadia and has plans to contest the 308 n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone race over Easter while Rod Jones will pace the dock awaiting the delivery of his new Spanish built sloop which is expected to arrive in Mooloolaba on April 12.
Meanwhile Rod Jones has plans to continue refining his helming skills with fleet racing in the SB3 Dart sports boat class including the 2010 Audi Australian championship regatta at Port Stephens in April.
But his focus will remain on preparing the new Alegria and making sure she is race ready to contest the 348 n/ml Brisbane to Keppel coastal passage race in early August.
“The crew are presently on standby and enjoying a break but that will change when the new ‘Alegria’ arrives.” An excited Rod Jones said.
From reports the design has a high degree of ‘fun factor’ and promises to be surprisingly fast and challenging in moderate to fresh winds.
However both skipper Rod Jones and his exceptionally talented crew of Sunshine Coast sailors mastered a similar challenge to surprise and outsail their southern state rivals when they won the 2007 and 2009 Audi Australian championships.
They have surrendered the opportunity to win the 2010 Nationals but are expected to begin an impressive campaign with their maiden ocean race to Keppel before lining up against another highly competitive fleet for the 2010 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week title in late August.
As expected the Alegria crew will naturally focus their attention on the Tim McCall skippered Arcadia when the Brisbane Gladstone fleet exits Moreton Bay via the Caloundra Fairway Buoy on Good Friday afternoon.
Racing over the 308 nautical miles to Gladstone will be an exciting challenge for Tim McCall however while he faces a steep learning curve he has the understanding that his yacht has the proven record to race against the best.
The Arcadia crew gained valuable sea time during the Gladstone to Keppel Bay race last weekend although they were outpaced by Geoff Paul’s smaller Farr 30 Immigrant.
Paul is well known for chancing his arm in strong winds and was in his element steering Immigrant when she surf –sailed to record another impressive result before the fresh spinnaker sailing south east breeze.
Immigrant was reported to have clocked hull speeds in excess of 20 knots when she charged past Cape Capricorn on her way to record her impressive Brisbane to Gladstone race trial indicating the ‘baby’ ocean racer will be a threat to win the 62nd Brisbane to Gladstone race if similar strong winds prevail over Easter.