The classic veteran yacht Pacha, winner of the Sydney Hobart Race in 1970,  has powered into a strong position this afternoon in the 414nm Hempel 24th Gosford to Lord Howe Island ocean race which started from Broken Bay yesterday.

Apart from the fleet leader, Getaway-Sailing.com, the near 40-year-old Pacha, now owned by Gosford Sailing Club member Bill Koppe, has made the best distance across the Tasman between today’s ‘skeds’.

The Camper & Nicholson 55-footer has revelled in the now strong northerly headwinds to cover 79nm and is now fourth in the fleet and second on IRC corrected time.

This is Koppe’s first race with Pacha, which he bought only three months ago, but he has done a major refit and has an experienced crew aboard.

As the Bureau of Meteorology issued an ocean gale warning for the Tasman Sea to seaward of the New South Wales coast ahead of southerly change, the Volvo 60 Getaway-Sailing.com (Peter Goldsworthy, CYCA) covered 86nm between ‘skeds’, opening up a 50nm lead over the fleet.

Getaway-Sailing.com’s position report at 1600 hours today placed her 173nm from Lord Howe Island. Astern of her came the modified Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler, owned by past Lord Howe Island Race and Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winners Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas.

AFR Midnight Rambler, which still holds the IRC progressive handicap top place, has 226 miles to sail to Lord Howe, as has the PHS handicap leader, Dream Lover, a MBD 40-footer skippered by Queenslander Rick Morgan.

AFR Midnight Rambler has logged 70nm between ‘skeds’ today,  Dream Lover 74nm, and these two modern ocean racers are only 21nm ahead of the near 40-year-old Pacha.

It is significant that these five boats, Getaway-Sailing.com, AFR Midnight Rambler, Dream Lover and Pacha, are the northernmost boats in the fleet, obviously looking to sail to the north of the sea mounts in mid-Tasman.

Also sailing well today has been the Cavalier 35 Morna, skippered by Greg Zyner from Manly Yacht Club.  She is now third in the IRC division, behind AFR Midnight Rambler and Pacha.

In the PHS division, Dream Lover continues to hold number one placing ahead of Dreamtime, Paul Spira’s Holland 14 from the CYCA,  which has also improved her position throughout the day, and Getaway-Sailing.com, which won the PHS division last year. – Peter Campbell