A windy forecast for Friday night has brought an impressive race record in sight as sailors prepare for what is expected to be a fast voyage in this year's Club Marine/Lexus Adelaide to Port Lincoln Yacht Race, which starts at 3pm today.
Geoff Boettcher's 52-foot Secret Men's Business heads in to the race as the reigning line honours champion and the favourite to take it out again, but this year with a primary goal of getting there in record time. The race record of 13 hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds was set in 2012 by Victorian 51-foot yacht Scarlet Runner, skippered by one of Boettcher's oldest rivals, Rob Date.
“We're out this time to beat the record,” Boettcher said. “With the wind as it is there's half a chance we can knock off the record that was set by someone the other side of the border.”
Although the rivalry with Date is a friendly one, Boettcher said he always wanted to bring the race record back in to South Australian hands and with the forecast the way it was, he had never been better positioned to do that.
Scarlet Runner competed in last year's race however was sold during 2015 and unfortunately will not be heading out to the start line today.
This year Boettcher will face a new rival, the brand new 45-foot Concubine, skippered by Jason Ward, fresh off it's maiden Sydney Hobart voyage where it finished 13th on overall handicap.
A WINDY forecast for Friday night has brought an impressive race record in sight as sailors prepare for what is expected to be a fast voyage in this year's Club Marine/Lexus Adelaide to Port Lincoln Yacht Race, which starts at 3pm today.
Geoff Boettcher's 52-foot Secret Men's Business heads in to the race as the reigning line honours champion and the favourite to take it out again, but this year with a primary goal of getting there in record time.
The race record of 13 hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds was set in 2012 by Victorian 51-foot yacht Scarlet Runner, skippered by one of Boettcher's oldest rivals, Rob Date.
“We're out this time to beat the record,” Boettcher said.
“With the wind as it is there's half a chance we can knock off the record that was set by someone the other side of the border.”
Although the rivalry with Date is a friendly one, Boettcher said he always wanted to bring the race record back in to South Australian hands and with the forecast the way it was, he had never been better positioned to do that.
Scarlet Runner competed in last year's race however was sold during 2015 and unfortunately will not be heading out to the start line today.
This year Boettcher will face a new rival, the brand new 45-foot Concubine, skippered by Jason Ward, fresh off it's maiden Sydney Hobart voyage where it finished 13th on overall handicap. Ward's purpose-built ocean racer will thrive in the windy conditions and will be looking to arrive in Port Lincoln along with Secret Men's Business in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
This year's race has seen a total of just less than 50 entries in both the racing and cruising divisions with many of the boats planning to stay in Port Lincoln for the four-day Lincoln Week regatta that follows.
Harry Fisher
