8:58 PM Sun 26 Jul 2009 GMT
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria ocean racing skipper Michael Hiatt returns to contest the 2009 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week with a new Living Doll.
The popular skipper who fought a tenacious tactical battle against his New South Wales rival Ray Roberts and his Quantum Racing (now Evolution) crew only to lose the 2008 IRC class championship trophy on count back is well positioned to challenge the defending title holder for championship honours.
Both Michael Hiatt and Ray Roberts skippering Cookson 50 sloops were so evenly matched 12 months ago that the Quantum Racing crew needed to win the final race to claim the series.
This year the champion Victorian sailor who has acquired an intelligent tactical knowledge of racing over the demanding Whitsunday Sailing Club courses in recent years enters the friendly State against State mate against mate grudge match with a sail power and size advantage for the opening race on Friday August 14.
There is a respected element of confidence with the Victorian crew, aboard their new Farr 55, still called Living Doll has a 1.52m waterline length advantage over the Cookson 50 to start as the favourite to have the required boat speed to win the prestigious line honours trophy over the re-named Quantum Racing which will compete under the Evolution Racing 'battle flag'.
Tactically skipper Ray Roberts has proved his skill to be among Australia's most successful blue water racing sailors winning a rare line and IRC corrected handicap double in the 2008 Audi Sydney to Gold Coast race plus the 61st Brisbane to Gladstone Race earlier this year. This year Roberts has chosen to leave the Gold Coast race to his rivals, yesterday winning the monsoon season Six Senses regatta in Phuket.
This year, racing in Airlie Beach, Roberts will have the support of the successful Sydney-Mooloolaba and Brisbane to Gladstone race winning sailor Richard Hudson as navigator while world championship winning tactician Steve McConaghy who played a major role when, the then Quantum Racing cing clinched her 'nail biting' victory off Airlie Beach last year will be on deck to make sure that the championship defender will be race ready for the expected nip-n-tuck duel from August 14-20.
This private match race promises to be the highlight of the regatta with Michael Hiatt's new Living Doll expected to provide her crew with the opportunity to improve on their 2008 scorecard of a Silver Medal in the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and a Bronze Medal from the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.
Collectively the new look Living Doll represents a formidable challenge but her crew will need to be aware that there will be no margin for any tactical errors similar to the one which ultimately cost them a title winning chance last year.
The split second error which led to Living Doll being squeezed for sea-room and forced onto the wrong side of a course mark remain as an experience which they want to forget but build on when the sails are tensioned.
However it will be bracket of tactical match races this year where the Michael Hiatt skippered Living Doll is expected to be the pacesetter to reverse the result of 2008.
by Ian Grant
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