Melbourne to Hobart yacht race may celebrate ita 50th with a special run

Queensland yacht Maritimo targets race record

QUEENSLAND yacht Maritimo is steaming down the state’s West Coast in a bold bid to break the record in the Melbourne to Hobart yacht race while a Tasmanian boat is leading the 50th anniversary event on handicap.

Maritimo is fifth on overall handicap but skipper Michael Spies has his eyes on the line honours prize.

Queensland yacht Maritimo, skippered by Michael Spies, is expected to break the race record. Picture Michael Currie

The USA-built 54-footer, originally from San Francisco and winner of the Rolex Big Boat Series an unprecedented 8 times, must finish by 5am on Thursday to break the record.

Michael Spies skipper on the Maritimo 11

Tasmanian boat Rumbeat, skippered by Justin Barr, of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, with co-skipper and fellow-Farr 1104 yacht owner Stewart Geeves, leads on overall handicap, placing them firmly in the hunt for the Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy.

Barr’s local rival Bryan Walpole, skipper of the Invincible, is second with Victorian boat Weekend Option (Michael Culhane) in third place overall.

Maritimo leads the 435 nautical mile Westcoaster by 11nm while Tasmanian boats are also applying pressure at the front of the fleet.

Port Dalrymple Yacht Club’s Andrew Jones, skipper of the Inglis 47, AdvantEdge, is second.

Scarlet Runner, the Victorian high-performance 43-footer skippered by Rob Date and winner of the Port Phillip Sea Pilot Perpetual Trophy for first out of the Port Phillip Heads, is in third place 4nm nautical miles behind AdvantEdge.

Former line honours winner Extasea, skippered by Victorian Paul Buchholz, is fourth.

Brent McKay’s Bakewell White Z39, Jazz Player, representing the Kettering Yacht Club and race partner, the Derwent Sailing Squadron, is in seventh place.

Race director Jeremy Walton said the fleet faced strong north to north easterly winds of 20 to 30 knots as they raced down the West Coast on day two, with a south-westerly front to hit late in the day.

He expected the experienced double-handed crews would benefit from the stronger conditions, as Blue Water Tracks, a 54-footer skippered by Victorian Grant Dunoon, led the two-handed division with fellow-Victorian Joker on Tourer closing in.

“On current estimates, the first boat is likely to arrive into Hobart around 9am on Thursday, approximately four hours outside the race record, however, if they can pick up time over the day, the race record could still be in reach,” Walton said.