| Australia. Windy conditions for luggers, tall ships & catamarans at 30th Great Whitsunday Fun Race |
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| Friday, 01 September 2006 | |
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Ian Grant: The 30th anniversary celebration for The Great Whitsunday Fun Race will present a spectacular scene of thrills, spills and spray when the mixed fleet of speed sailing catamarans, vintage tall ships and pearling luggers, contest the annual Festival of Sails event off Airlie Beach on Saturday. A gusty southerly trade wind spiced with rain squalls promises to test the strength of the sail fabric and the endurance of the crews. The crews who hold little respect for the gusty 15-25 knot winds will almost certainly experience wild uncontrolled broaches when they sail across the entrance of the notoriously windy Funnel Bay. However in spite of the forecast another high profile fleet will compete for what is considered to be the World’s most useless sailing trophy an empty Bundaberg Rum bottle glued to a slab of rain forest cedar. Despite its worthless value there is a significant history associated with the event dating back to 1976 when the luggers Dahlia and the Torres Herald spread their sails in a grudge race for a full bottle of Bundy Rum. Some of Australia’s best known yachts including Americas Cup challenger Gretel and the famed Sydney-Hobart line honours champions Apollo and Ragamuffin are listed among the previous winners while last years winner the Peter Millar skippered catamaran Spud Gun is favoured to win back to back trophies on the windy Pioneer Bay. Skipper Millar and his Whitsunday Sailing Club crew are noted fresh wind sailors having completed the 13n/ml triangular course last year with the remarkable time of 56 minutes 38 seconds. The hull flying Spud Gun promises to leave another path of power sailing spray when her crew sails on the fine line between distinction and disaster as they challenge their 2005 race record time. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 01 September 2006 ) |
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