3:40 AM Fri 18 Sep 2009 GMT
Ocean racing rivalry between Sydney-based AFR Midnight Rambler and Tow Truck from Lake Macquarie will be repeated in the Hempel Paints 36th Gosford - Lord Howe Island Yacht Race which starts on Saturday, 31 October.
The score stands at one-all after the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race last December and the 2009 Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race in early August.
Lake Macquarie Yacht Club's Anthony Paterson in his newly acquired Ker 11.3 Tow Truck won IRC Division 3 of last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart with
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia member Ed Psaltis, placing second in AFR Midnight Rambler, a modified Farr 40.
However, Psaltis and co-owner Rob Thomas squared the contest by winning the Audi Gold Coast Race with Tow Truck second. Round three will be the Hempel Lord Howe Island Race and then the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart.
The two hard-sailed yachts are the stand-out contenders for IRC honours in the 414 nautical mile race across the northern Tasman Sea to beautiful Lord Howe Island. A fleet of 16 boats representing eight yacht clubs is expected to compete following the late withdrawal of several boats, including the Brisbane-based Spirit of Koomooloo.
Psaltis and co-owner Bob Thomas are past winners of the Lord Howe Race with their previous AFR Midnight Rambler, also winning the 1998 Sydney Hobart within the same 12 months. Paterson made his ocean racing name with his little Mumm 30, also named Tow Truck, before buying the latest boat in Europe late last year. 'We got the boat too late to contest the Lord Howe Island Race last year, so we have set our sights on a victory this year,' says Paterson. 'Beating Midnight Rambler again would be a bonus!'
Their main opposition for IRC honours will come from the veteran Alan Payne- designed yawl Sanyo Maris which celebrated her 50th birthday last year by winning the Lord Howe Island Race. Skipper Ian Kiernan will take full advantage of the yacht's low rating and, in suitable weather, could repeat her victory.
The former Sydney Hobart winner Pacha, now owned by Gosford Sailing Club member Bill Koppe, could be a threat in a hard race to windward as will Greg Zyner's Radford 12, Copernicus, from Manly Yacht Club. Also representing Gosford in the IRC division is Chris Dawe's, Peter Cole-designed, Gosford-built Polaris of Belmont which won the PHS division last year.
The equally strong PHS division line-up includes the powerful Beneteau 44.7 Kioni, skippered by CYCA member Nick Athineos while former prominent ocean racing yachtsman Bill Gilbert is returning with the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron-registered 13.68 metre, Scott Jutson designed Southern Cross.
The Hempel Paints Gosford Lord Howe Island Race will start from Broken Bay on a line set between Barrenjoey and Lion Island at 1300 hours on Saturday, 31 October, with the fleet sailing close inshore to a turning mark off Terrigal before setting a north-easterly course across the Tasman Sea. Gosford Sailing Club is again organising a spectator ferry for the start.
by Peter Campbell
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