7:38 PM Sat 2 Jan 2010 GMT
Light winds overnight have cost the two super maxis sailing in the 2010 Pittwater Coffs Harbour race any chance of breaking the race record in the 29th running of the 226 nautical mile coastal race.
At the 1700 radio sked yesterday afternoon Grant Wharington's Hart 98 Etihad Stadium had closed to within a mile of race leader, the Mark Richards helmed Reichel Pugh 100 Wild Oats XI, five miles behind them was Peter Harburg's Black Jack.
By 2000, the second group was sailing in a light westerly with Craig Ellis' Future Shock just north of Nobbys Beach Newcastle, leading Bruce Absolon's Volvo 60 Spirit of the Maid by a mile, with Bruce Hogan's Marten 49 Perpetual Motion just 500 metres back, covering her fellow Marten 49 Stewart Lewis Ocean Affinity.
Richard Hudson's Farr 45 Pretty Woman was inside them. After a booming start David Elliott's Farr 40 E11even had begun to fall back to the following fleet.
The westerly land breeze was proving to be the most reliable and Etihad Stadium crept up the shoreline, staying out of the south flowing current.
After the 00:05 mid-night radio sked, the event website operated by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club was saying Etihad Stadium reported her position as being five miles ahead of Wild Oats XI; close in on the coast off Sugarloaf Point.
However the Wild Oats XI crew reported she was ahead with Etihad Stadium's lights visible astern. Regardless Black Jack was still another seven miles in arrears. Future Shock and Spirit of the Maid were 21nm back from the leader.
The race leaders were averaging less than 8knots boat speed and with more than 130 miles to the finish line the race record was clearly not under threat. Soon after midnight the southerly arrived, weaker than expected, but it gradually began to fill in.
Just after first light at 0535 navigator Adrienne Cahalan reported that Wild Oats XI was five miles ahead of Etihad Stadium. Wild Oats XI still had 66 nautical miles to go to the Coffs Harbour finish line. The boat was sailing under spinnaker in a 20 knot southerly.
by Rob Kothe & the Sail-World Team
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