Leaders of the Sydney Hobart pass Green Cape
As the leading yachts in the 2009 Rolex Sydney to Hobart enter Bass Strait on day two, one yacht has found itself in seriously hot water, but this time with smiles all around. Ichiban made some very smart strategic moves overnight and managed to get a free ride from the warm waters of the strong south going East Australian Current.
This 70 foot yacht has literally “smoked” down the New South Wales coast and is only 26 nautical miles behind its 100 foot long super maxi counterparts. In yacht racing terms this is a huge coup.
With much media attention on the weather forecast and what it might bring, many forget to consider the all important 3rd dimension….the current. Ichi Ban owned and skippered by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Matt Allen has applied some real smarts over the past 24 hours by paying attention to the EAC, the famous Ocean Current that pours south along the coast. By sailing a route further offshore overnight Allen and his highly regarded navigator Conrad Humphries have sought out and ridden a magic carpet of current of up to 4knots. Ichi Ban is now in a strong position to threaten her larger rivals for a handicap win in Div 0. The three 100 footers, Alfa Romeo, ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats, who have been locked in a ding dong tussle since the start have clearly paid less attention to the Ocean Current by sailing closer to the coast.
However, with the front runners slowed by light and tricky conditions as they approached Bass Strait, this year’s handicap winner is likely to come from the ranks of the smaller boats and knowledge of what the EAC is up to has favoured the brave who have been prepared to go out wide around the back of an eddy situated between Sydney and Ulladulla.
Many of the yachts in this year’s event are using new technology produced by Ocean Current specialists Tidetech which in the lead up to the race has provided navigators with the best ever understanding of the Ocean Currents.
The low pressure system remnant of a tropical cyclone crossing the continent is setting up a tricky wind pattern for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, for its Boxing Day start. While the scenario is still changing, pockets of light breeze to be negotiated between two major wind systems look to have removed the prospects of a record-breaking run by one of the hi-tech collection of maxi yachts in the fleet. Barry Hanstrum, senior forecaster for the NSW Bureau of Meteorology, predicts that the fleet of 100 boats will probably start in a light to moderate southerly, which would mean a spectacular spinnaker start in Sydney Harbour on Saturday, then a beat to windward in 10-20 knots as the fleet reaches the open sea. While the wind would back to the east – northeast offshore, a low pressure trough would create lighter air inshore. A west to southwest change on Sunday night in the Bass Strait of 20-30 knots would continue into Monday, December 28.
It’s that time of year again….nice sat watching the BA ground staff de-icing the planes wings knowing that in 20 hours or so, I’d be back in the Sydney sun for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2009. Really strong fleet this year, with the biggest number of maxis and 100 footers ever to take the start. TP52 winner, Quest is back to defend her title and Rolex Fastnet winner, Ran, owned by Skype founder Niklas Zennström will also be out to win back to back events. Weather models still a little unsettled for a prediction of this year’s conditions, but early forecasts suggest a SSE 15kts at the start, backing around to the NNE later on Boxing Day. Nothing blistering, but still early days.
