A gentle start was delivered to those competing in the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. Fifty-one yachts assembled on the start line before the yachts crawled across Sydney Harbour and north up the Tasman Sea.
It’s the calm before the storm, as yachts are preparing to encounter a strong west south-westerly breeze starting in the early morning of Sunday 29 July. The anticipated conditions will make it a close race amongst the top competitors, with strong breezes building 24 hours in that might allow the mid-size competitors to catch up to the mini-maxis.
For more information on the anticipated conditions, watch the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Weather Briefing here.
The fastest yachts made it out of the heads in just fifty-eight minutes, with URM Group being the first to reach the open water and the TP52 KOA just a few minutes behind. Rupert Henry’s Mistral was the first double handed entry to sail out North Head, only twenty minutes behind URM Group at 14:18 hours.
URM Group sailed strategically as the defending winner but were tested. Anthony Johnston’s yacht claimed the Overall Victory in the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and took home the overall title for the 2023/2024 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.
Once out the heads, URM Group picked up speed in clearer air with CYCA Director David Griffith AM’s J/V62 Whisper close behind. Sebastian Bohm’s TP52 Smuggler and Michael Smith’s Kernan 44 Tempo were in pursuit alongside Peter Wrigley & Andrew Kearnan’s KOA.
With thirteen double handed competitors, the double handed division guarantees another incredibly competitive fight amongst their division. Henry’s Lombard 34 Mistral is poised to be a strong competitor once again. Henry claimed victory in the IRC Double Handed division and Double Handed Line Honours in the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, earning an impressive sixth place overall on IRC. Henry will be racing with co-skipper Greg O’Shea.
With varying conditions expected through the first 24 hours of the race and a highly competitive IRC fleet, it’s sure to be a thrilling competition.
