Race director Herb Prendergast has elected to delay the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race for 1 hour to allow the fleet to begin the 308 n/ml race at the top of relatively low 1.73m high tide.
This is the first time in the 63 year history that the start time has been altered by 1 hour because of the maximum depth of water while a 24 hour delay was enforced in 1964 when a tropical low depression situated near Fraser Island prompted officials to postpone the start to 11am on Easter Saturday.
However gusty trade winds remained to propel the heavy weight New South Wales ketches the Rupert Murdock skippered Ilina and the John Cockle helmed Enid on a spinnaker surfing ride with Illina winning the Citizens of Gladstone line honours trophy by a narrow 4minute 46 seconds over Enid.
Ilina’s 33 hour 23 minute 54 second course time smashed the previous record set by the Vic Meyer skippered Solo in 1958 by 1 hour 28 minutes 56 seconds.
This year’s race has attracted an impressive group of Australia’s fastest yachts including the defending line honours champion the Mark Bradford skippered Black Jack, the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel race record holder Peter Millard’s Lahana plus the Sydney to Gold Coast record holder Brindabella and the former Sydney Hobart race record holder Nokia now racing as Spirit of The Maid.
All these radically different designed yachts have the proven speed potential to duel for this year’s first to finish prize and their crews remain hopeful of the trade wind forecast to return to challenge the present 20 hour 24 minute 50 second record set by the Grant Wharington skippered Skandia Wild Thing in 2004.
The present long range forecast suggests a change but there is only a remote chance of the breeze blowing hard and long enough for record challenge.