Postcard conditions for final day of racing at Sail Port Stephens

1:27 AM Sun 18 Apr 2010 GMT

'Final morning Sail Port Stephens 2010' Andrea Francolini &copy

A high centred over the mid Tasman Sea is generating the perfect postcard conditions and unseasonally warm temperatures at Sail Port Stephens - and is the reason the light air specialists and lighter weight boats with fewer bodies aboard are inching towards the podium.

Principal race officer Denis Thompson has taken today's forecast and tide into consideration and amended the course for the Performance Racing and Cruising fleets by shortening it and keeping the tide out of play.

On the IRC windward/leeward offshore course he expects good racing as those near the top of the Yachting NSW IRC Championship leaderboard scramble for the remaining points of the six-race Championship that will be decided this afternoon.

In division 1 just one point separates first from second and second from third, while in division 2 first and second are just a point apart and third is only two point adrift.

"Today the westerly land breeze is expected to give way to a south-easterly by mid to late morning going left during the afternoon under the influence of the gradient and an extremely weak sea breeze component," is weatherman Kenn Batt's prediction.

He warns "Wind again in the Bay should be 3-4 knots lighter and direction more variable than outside the Bay."

Today's forecast for offshore:

1000:MD180 DR(190-160) MS07 SR03-10kn

1200:MD140 DR(160-120) MS08 SR05-12kn

1400:MD120 DR(140-100) MS10 SR06-13kn

1600:MD100 DR(120-080) MS12 SR07-15kn

1800:MD080 DR(100-060) MS11 SR06-14kn

For further information please visit www.sailportstephens.com.au

by Lisa Ratcliff, Sail Port Stephens media