Excitement builds for the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore as the fleet prepares for the third race in the series, the Tollgate Islands Race, starting this Friday 18 October at 1900hrs.
Covering 260 nautical miles, the race will see competitors navigate out of Sydney Harbour, and turn south towards the rugged Tollgate Islands. Located four nautical miles off the coast of Batemans Bay, these rocky islands are a renowned diving spot and will serve as the rounding mark at the race’s halfway point.
This year’s race will see 26 competing yachts on the start line, including 10 Double Handed entries and two Mini Maxis – Whisper (Judel Vrolijk 62) and URM Group (Reichel Pugh Maxi 72). The fleet’s oldest competitor is Maritimo Katwinchar (DH), a classic Watney Circa 1904 yacht owned by Bill Barry-Cotter and skippered by Michael Spies. Fresh off an impressive victory in the inaugural GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race, Maritimo Katwinchar dominated across all rating systems, claiming wins in IRC, PHS, and ORC. Time will tell how the classic performs against the other larger yachts.
Last year’s groundbreaking win by Kraken III (DH) showed that smaller, Double Handed teams can compete on equal footing with larger, fully-crewed yachts, even in demanding offshore conditions. The year before, the race was dominated by the Maxi division, with the immense power of yachts like Andoo Comanche and URM Group proving decisive.
This range of historical performances shows that success in this race isn’t solely dictated by size or crew size, making it an exciting and unpredictable race where any yacht, from the smallest Double Handers to the largest Maxis, can come out on top.
Returning to the fleet and stretching its legs for the first time under new charterers James Mayo and Matt Allen is the iconic VPLP Verdier 100, Comanche. Widely regarded as the fastest monohull in the world, Comanche has a remarkable record of achievements in some of the most challenging ocean races. All eyes will be on the Maxi as it embarks on this race, eager to see how it performs under fresh leadership.
Co-skipper, Matt Allen commented, “This is really the first big race of our campaign leading up to the Rolex Sydney Hobart. We are excited to get the boat back out in the ocean and reacclimatise the crew to the boat. Our focus is on getting the boat ready for Hobart, so we want to make sure the changes and maintenance we’ve done over the past months are working as intended.”
“For the Tollgate Islands Race, the primary job is to get the boat around the track, and with the current forecast, it should be an enjoyable race. Sydney Harbour is great, but there’s not a lot of runway for a boat of this size.”
“I’ve raced on several 100-footers, including two Transpacs and multiple Sydney to Hobarts, and it’s great to be back on a big boat like Comanche. The hard part is that all the gear is so large and how much time every manoeuvre takes, so we’ll keep it simple for tomorrow.”
Comanche‘s crew is a mix of names, all known in the sailing industry. From the bow to the runners, they represent some of the best talent the sport has to offer.
With the current forecast it looks like it could be a race that favours the larger yachts in the fleet. The name of the game will be reaching the turning mark as the wind swings around to the South to avoid much upwind sailing and to capitalise on the downwind conditions, when that will exactly happen is yet to be seen.
Find a short weather forecast below.
Friday, 18 October: Sydney and NSW Coast
Winds along the Sydney and Illawarra coasts are expected to be strong, with a Strong Wind Warning in place.
The day will start with northerly to northeasterly winds of 15 to 25 knots, increasing up to 30 knots by the afternoon. Seas will rise from 1.5 metres to 2.5 metres, accompanied by a southeasterly swell of around 1 metre. Weather conditions will be cloudy, with a 90% chance of rain and with winds gradually shifting to a northwesterly direction later in the evening.
Saturday, 19 October: Batemans Bay Coastline
As the fleet progresses south towards Batemans Bay, Saturday brings a shift in wind direction. Friday winds will start northwesterly at 15 to 25 knots before shifting south to southwesterly at 15 to 20 knots early on Saturday. Offshore, the winds will grow stronger, blowing at 20 to 30 knots by the afternoon. Seas will increase to 2.5 metres offshore, with a southerly swell building to 1 to 2 metres. Northeasterly swell will be present but will decrease to around 1 metre by morning. Skies will be cloudy, offering potentially calmer conditions as the day progresses, though the combination of shifting winds and rising seas could still pose tactical challenges for the fleet.
Sunday, 20 October: Batemans Bay Coastline
As the remainder of the fleet is on its return leg towards Sydney Harour, the day shows a continued Southerly breeze ranging from 20 to 30 knots, with seas from 2 to 3 meter increasing to 3 to 4 during the afternoon. The weather promises to partly cloudy but relatively free of rain.
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