Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours contender Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 really cracked on the pace in today’s Gascoigne Cup, the historic short ocean race off Sydney Heads conducted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron since 1886.

The Reichel/Pugh 80, which only last Monday took line honours in the 414 nautical mile Hempel 35th Gosford – Lord Howe Island Race, swept around today’s short ocean course in a 12-14 knot sou’sou’easterly breeze to take line honours in 1 hour 29 minutes and 47 seconds.

She took out a double by also winning on IRC ratings, but under her higher PHS handicap, under which the Gascoigne Cup is decided, she had to settle for 16th place in the fleet of 18.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive performance following her line honours win in the Lord Howe Island Race.  She is emerging as a potential line honours opponent for Wild Oats XI which emerged from a Bankstown aircraft hanger this week after modifications designed to make her even faster in pursuit of a fourth successive line honours victory in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

In the Gascoigne Cup IRC results, ASM-Shockwave 5 won on corrected time from Annette & Robin Hawthorn’s Imagination and Matthew Short’s TP52 Shortwave.

However, the Gascoigne Cup, decided on the combined Division 1 and Division 3 PHS results, went to the Division 3 entrant King Billy (Phil & Elesa Bennett) from Double Trouble (Steve Wyatt) and Big Blue (Bob & Ann Penty).

King Billy finished an hour and 38 minutes astern of ASM-Shockwake 5, but the mid-fleet boats benefited as the SSE breeze freshened slightly during the afternoon.- Peter Campbell