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Race Updates - 2023 Tollgate Islands Race

Race Updates - 2023 Tollgate Islands Race

NEWS
15 Oct, 2023 07:24:00 AM

Sunfast 3300 Kraken 111

Race Updates - 2023 Tollgate Islands Race

Race updates during the 2023 Tollgate Islands Race

2023 Tollgate Islands Race - UPDATE

0615hrs Sunday 15 October

Arriving at Watsons Bay just over an hour ago, the Tasmanian two-handed entry Kraken III sailed by Rob Gough & John Saul has taken the lead on IRC Overall standings.

The eighth boat to finish after Andoo Comanche, URM Group, Smuggler, Sticky, Highly Sprung, Lightning and White Noise, she has bettered the Line Honours winning 100-footer's corrected time by almost an hour and now looks likely to win Overall honours.

None of the other overnight finishers were able to make up enough time to challenge - URM Group struggled in light winds off Sydney for several hours to arrive at 2028hrs, Smuggler just before midnight. The next three finished around an hour later.

Rob and John represent the Derwent Sailing Squadron in Hobart and will be remembered for winning Two-Handed Line Honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart in 2021 - the first year that the division was introduced - on their Marc Lombard designed Akilaria RC2 Sidewinder. Both have competed in several Hobarts and Rob is also a former windsurfing and Moth World Champion and excelled in the SB20 class.

2023 Tollgate Islands Race - UPDATE

2000hrs Saturday 14 October

Weather can be fickle. At 1645hrs, URM Group was off Bondi still with a realistic chance of taking the lead on Overall standings if they could get around the corner & finish in Watsons Bay by 1723hrs. And then the breeze shut down, leaving them averaging less than 1kt for over two hours. Supporters at Green Point have watched dolphins play and a beautiful sunset but there has been no sight of the 72' mini maxi.

Smugger will be the following boat to finish and has 17.5nm to go. They are unlikely to arrive within the hour needed to take the lead though.

With light breeze forecast overnight, the top two-handed IRC contenders, Kraken III, Tumbleweed and Verite along with fully-crewed Supernova and Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth would need a lot of luck.

Having taken Line Honours at 1231hrs, Andoo Comanche is back in pole position for the treble - Line Honours, Race Record and Overall IRC.

Six Division 2 boats lead PHS standings with Kraken III, Enigma and Wild Oats holding down the top three places.

2023 Tollgate Islands Race - UPDATE

0930hrs Saturday 14 October

Andoo Comanche has increased her lead to over 40nm over URM Group and has just passed the back-of-fleet boats near Kiama, 16nm SE of Flinders Islet, on her way back to Watsons Bay. She is doing 15.3kts & has averaged 15kts for the journey. The crew has around 47nm to go.

The 50-footers Smuggler, Highly Sprung and Sticky are approaching Tollgate Islands with gaps then back to Lightning and White Noise respectively.

The majority of the fleet are then stretched between Ulladulla and Wreck Bay, led by Supernova and Georgia Express.

In standings, URM still leads Andoo Comanche for IRC Overall, with Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson's Sydney 36 Supernova in 3rd.

Kraken III (TH) is atop PHS ahead of Wild Oats and Supernova. Kraken III (10th on scratch), Verite and Tumbleweed make up the Two-Handed IRC top three.

Conditions around Batemans Bay look to remain predominantly westerly at 5-12kts through the morning before potentially building to 18kts. Overnight and into Sunday, the breeze looks to drop again.

2023 Tollgate Islands Race - UPDATE

0400hrs Saturday 14 October

Nine hours into the race, Andoo Comanche has consolidated her lead and put almost 20nm on URM Group. She is approaching the turning point, 10nm NE of Batemans Bay off South Durras, doing 13.1kts - having averaged 14.4kts for the trip to date.

URM Group is off Burrill Lake, just past Ulladulla with the chasers Smuggler, Highly Sprung and Sticky a further 9.3nm back off Currarong, 7nm NE of Jervis Bay. They have put a gap on Lightning, well outside the rhumbline, with the main pack further north near Gerroa.

Bringing up the rear and currently off Wollongong are two two-handers - Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham on the 30-foot Currawong and the 1960 Alan Payne designed Sylph VI raced by Robert Williams and Chris Warren. The boat has entered the Rolex Sydney Hobart this year after having not competed in the race for almost 60 years.

In IRC Overall, URM Group is still leading, ahead of Andoo Comanche, Smuggler, Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth and Verite - the first of the two-handed entries.

Andoo Comanche leads PHS over Gordon Smith's Farr 43 Wild Oats and Kraken III.

Two-Handed IRC has Verite over Kraken III and Rum Rebellion.

Conditions near Tollgate Islands are currently 8-15kt NW with a SSE swell of under a metre. High tide is at 0845hrs and sunrise at 0619hrs. It' a chilly 11 degrees but looking to warm up quickly for a slightly overcast day ahead.