Words: Liz Rountree
Photos: Colleen Darcey
Porco Rosso claims the win in all categories with a 1am finish on Friday, Fork in the Road following in the late morning and Jazz Player crossing the line mid-afternoon. But they are not the only ones to finish the race with 6 teams motoring into Triabunna.
All crews are safe, but the big seas and windless night subdued more than a few, and the radar promises some of the nastiest conditions Tasmania has to offer still to come.
“You don’t spend all this money on a boat to spend more money,” says Peter Coad, skipper of The Dog House who retired at midday, remarking on the 40 kt Westerly forecast for the night, when most teams will be nearing Tasman Island.
“I’m ecstatic with how we went,” he goes on. “We had a magnificent start, and even though the first night was frustrating in the rain and no wind, [our boat] is very slipper in light airs, which allowed us to get a jump on our competitors.”
The team is already making preparations for the King of the Derwent Race on Tuesday.
The all-women’s team Lawless who finished their race with 2 reefs and a number 3, reaching down past Bicheno, also pulled the pin. Orla Gray said looking ahead to the forecast, this was the right decision. Lawless had a spectacular run out the Tamar and hit their high point doing 9.2 kts under a fractional kite out of Banks Strait. “We didn’t have it up for long,” Gray admits, “But she was up!”
Meanwhile Planet X and Wings Three spent most of the day trying to out drift each other inside Maria Island, eventually punching into the Southwesterly, both in a race against time to see if they can clear Tasman before the front hits.
Big Pup, Prion, Invicinble and Just Farr Love spent most the day in a no wind convergence zone between the Northerly and Southwester just shy of Maria, with Mako and Footloose on their tail.
Sundowner followed Heatwave Fish Frenzy and Kraken 42S into Storm Bay and are expected to finish late evening.
