The maxi yacht Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 has streaked away from the fleet overnight in the Hempel 35th Gosford – Lord Howe Island Yacht Race, opening up a remarkable lead of 75 nautical miles over the second boat, Getaway-Sailing.

Reporting in at 0705 hours this morning, just over 18 hours after the start of the race from Broken Bay yesterday afternoon, CYCA member and skipper Andrew Short gave a latitude and longitude that placed the Reichel/Pugh-designed 80-footer more than 180 nautical miles out into the Tasman Sea, north-east of Newcastle.

That position placed the maxi within 233 nm of the finish off Lord Howe Island’s coral lagoon and shows she has averaged 10 knots since the start. She should be halfway to the island by mid-morning.

Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 is now also in first place on handicap in the IRC division, based on the positions reported by the 14 boat fleet at this morning’s ‘sked’. 

The Gosford – Lord Howe Island race of 414 nm is the 80-footer’s qualifying race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and is her first long ocean race since Andrew Short bought the boat in the USA.

Among his crack crew is Matt Allen, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, who will be sailing his own boat Ichi Ban in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

In the IRC division, Andrew Short Marine-Shockwave 5 holds a commanding corrected time lead over two other CYCA entrants, Tony Kirby’s X-42 Patrice Six, and Warwick Sherman’s Cookson 12, Occasional Coarse Language.

The classic yacht Pacha, winner of the Sydney Hobart Race in 1970 and now owned by Gosford Sailing Club member Bill Koppe, is in fourth place.

Manly Yacht Club’s Copernicus, a Radford 12 skippered by Greg Zyner, continues to hold her first place in the PHS division from More Witchcraft, skippered by CYCA Rear Commodore John Cameron, with the veteran Cole 43 Polaris of Belmont, skippered by another GSC member Chris Dawe, in third place.

There has been one retirement overnight from the 14 boat fleet – the Archambault 40 Broadsword with a split mainsail.  She has returned to MHYC

The next ‘sked’ with the fleet will be at 1905 hours this evening. – Peter Campbell

Full ‘sked’ details on Gosford Sailing Club website www.gosfordsailing.com.au