MASERATI
SAIL NO: ITA70
LOA: 21.5m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG)
YEAR BUILT: 2007
TYPE: Volvo 70
OWNER: Jim Cooney
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: Jim Cooney – Skipper, J Coleman, D Burt, S Don, M Robinson, J Natherson, B Sykes, O Schenk, Julia Cooney, H Slawson, W Hedberg, N Armstrong, J Tilse, D Hislop
Maserati is big leap up in terms of performance, age and technological advances compared to Jim Cooney’s 23 year-old Brindabella. Maserati came to Australia for the first time last year with famous Italian sailor, Giovani Soldini skippering in the Hobart. Cooney says the V70 is a very exciting step “for our family and crew.” Most of the long-serving Brindabella crew have joined him in the new venture, as has his daughter Julia (19). The crew will be topped up with the experienced North Sails MD, Michael Coxon.
Cooney, who says the family has spent years at sea together, realises Maserati is a complex boat and says they are in the early days of learning to sail her. He is entering this race as a great training exercise under real conditions and will be very happy with any result given that the boat is still very new to them. Maserati will join two other infinitely more experienced V70s and their cohesive crews in the race: Black Jack and Giacomo. Cooney last sailed Brindabella (which remains at CYCA berth A62 for the foreseeable future) to 12th on line and PHS 11th in the 2015 Gold Coast race, retiring from the last two Hobart races.
MAYFAIR
SAIL NO: W1424
LOA: 12.2m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2011
TYPE: Beneteau First 40
OWNER: James Irvine
CLUB: Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, QLD
CREW: J Irvine – Skipper, R Pym, S Butt, J Hawkins, D Rose, P Wright, T Di Betta, T Rose, K Kaiser
Mayfair, the former ‘Take Flight’, is a Sydney Gold Coast race novice. James Irvine took her in their maiden Sydney Hobart race last year they finished an impressive ninth overall, fourth in Division 4 and fifth overall in ORCi for third in Division 3 – a very promising start for Irvine who bought the Beneteau 40 to campaign in all east coast and local races. Irvine claims they are an experienced and colourful crew of local characters - and they proved that at the CYCA in December. In earlier results, Mayfair finished 14th overall from 16 competitors in the 2015 Brisbane to Keppel Yacht Race, having better luck the previous year when she was 12th overall from 25 entries, in her first blue water outing under Irvine’s leadership.
MERLIN
SAIL NO: 93
LOA: 15.6m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Forbes/Kaiko (AUS)
YEAR BUILT: 2000
TYPE: Kaiko 52
OWNER: David Forbes
SKIPPER: Joseph Earl
CLUB: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, NSW
CREW: J Earl – Skipper, R Brooks – Navigator, C Thornton, C Casey, A Cameron, K Hegarty, L Earl, M Brixel, M Heenan, M Lansky
After finishing 17th overall and third in Division 2 of the 2014 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Race last year Merlin, owned by 82 year-old Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup yachtsman David Forbes OAM, completed the race last year in 33rd place for third in Division 1. For offshore races, Forbes leaves the Kaiko 52 in the hands of his trusted regular skipper, Joseph Earl, who also steered the yacht to 25th overall and second in Division 2 of the 2015 Sydney Hobart, taking Merlin to sixth overall and sixth under ORCi in the Blue Water Pointscore Series, of which the Hobart is the final race. Always well sailed, and a regular in the CYCA’s Ocean Pointscore Series (OPS), Merlin received a new suit of sails last year, which vastly helped her performance.
MINERVA
SAIL NO: 6837
LOA: 13m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Reichel/Pugh (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2002
TYPE: DK43
OWNER: Tim Cox
SKIPPER: Edward Cox
CLUB: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, NSW
CREW: E Cox – Skipper, M Blaxell – Navigator, B Greenrod, I King, J Johnson, J Francis, K Whyte, M Hewitt-Park, R Keenan, W Cox
Minerva‘s last assault on the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race was in 2012 when she finished 38th overall and ninth in Division 2, but her best performance in the race was 22nd overall and fifth in IRC Division 2 in 2011. A DK43 formerly known as Pla Loma IV, it will be skippered by one of the owner’s sons, Edward, whose brother William, who has skippered this yacht in other races, is also aboard. Minerva is a regular competitor in the BWPS and OPS series. Over the past few summers it has competed alternately in the Sydney-Hobart and Coffs Harbour Races, last heading to Hobart in 2013, finishing 16th overall. Minerva won the CYCA Ocean Point Score PHS series in 2012/13. Cox has upped the ante by adding high-profile Kiwi afterguard Rod Keenan and competitive skiff sailors Brad Greenrod and James Francis to the mix.
MORE WITCHCRAFT
SAIL NO: 8402
LOA: 13.95m
CLASS: PHS
DESIGNER: Kevin Dibley
YEAR BUILT: 1995
TYPE: Dibley 46
OWNER: John Cameron
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: J Cameron – Skipper, T Peek – Navigator, M Press, C Sriber, S Enoch, Michael Est, Matt Este, S Jackson, M Paton, M Brown, P Merli
John Cameron finished his term as CYCA commodore this month and can’t wait to hit the offshore race track again. He has had some hits and misses in this race – the hits were a PHS win in 2004 and PHS third overall in 2005. He missed in More Witchcraft’s last Gold Coast Race in 2010, when under-prepared, the boat finished last in PHS. Cameron was madly preparing his yacht as he grappled with his final days as commodore and business commitments. He is aware that his boat and crew will need to be at their best to challenge last year’s PHS winner, Wax Lyrical (Les Goodridge’s X-50) and She’s the Culprit (an Inglis/Jones 39) which surprisingly finished outside the top placings last year, but won everything before her in the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart. Having said that, Cameron has co-opted fellow yacht owner, Carl Sriber, and champion 12ft skiff skipper Murray Press to his crew, and they will add some polish.
NAUTICAL CIRCLE
SAIL NO: A169
LOA: 12.0m
CLASS: PHS
DESIGNER: Joubert/Nivelt (FRA)
YEAR BUILT: 2006
TYPE: Archambault 40
OWNER: Ian Prentice
CLUB: Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, NSW
CREW: I Prentice – Skipper, G Weise, R Smith, T Bye, T Butler, A Ormandlaki, D Holmes, R Taylor-Price, M Riera
Nautical Circle last contested this race in 2013 under Ian Prentice, finishing 20th overall for ninth in Division 3. In 2012 he finished 41st overall and 10th in Division 3. Her only other Gold Coast race was in 2010, when Matthew Prentice skippered her to 50th overall and 14th in Division 3. Nautical Circle also entered the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart, but retired with engine problems, but went on to finish 40th overall in 2013. An Archambault 40, she was designed to be a good all-rounder and has the ability to make the podium.
OCCASIONAL COARSE LANGUAGE ONE
SAIL NO: 8009
LOA: 12m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2000
TYPE: Cookson 12
OWNER: Robert Alder/William Bailey
CLUB: Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, NSW
CREW: W Bailey – Skipper, J Wells – Navigator, A Jurd, C Davey, E Watts, G Edwards, M Jeremy, M McSorley, R McClung, T Sutton
This Cookson 12, owned by Warwick Sherman until 2011, finished 26th overall and fourth in Division 2 of last year’s race to the Gold Coast, finishing 31st overall and sixth in Division 3 the previous year, after finishing fifth overall and third in IRC Division 3 in 2013, beating Sherman’s much newer Occasional Coarse Language Too to the punch. Bill Bailey and crew raced Occasional Coarse Language One to sixth overall in the 2015 Pittwater Coffs Harbour Race, and ninth in the 2016 race before scoring seventh in IRC Division 2 at the Sydney Harbour Regatta and ninth in Division 2 at the NSW IRC Championship. Her owners say that racing from RPAYC in Pittwater since 2011, “We enjoy all forms of racing from windward/leewards to long offshore races.” The Cookson 12 sports a fabulous spinnaker with colourful symbols signifying expletives on it. Wild Rose’s Jenifer Wells will navigate.
OCEAN GEM
SAIL NO: 8810
LOA: 13.5m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 1992
TYPE: Beneteau 445
OWNER: David Hows
CLUB: Southport Yacht Club
CREW: D Hows – Skipper, S Humphris – Navigator, A Lomakin, E Van Coeverden, K Schroder, M Hows, P Chapman, R Durham, S Hanrahan, S Laughlin
Ocean Gem joins She and Wildflower 2 in representing race finisher, Southport Yacht Club, in the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The Beneteau was originally sold new in New Zealand in 1992 and purchased by the current owner, David Hows, in 2011. She was berthed in Auckland until late 2013, when extensive cruising was undertaken around the top half of New Zealand’s North Island. In November 2013, Hows sailed her across the Tasman Sea via Norfolk Island. The boat is now permanently berthed at SYC, where she has been competing in both the offshore and twilight racing series since January 2014 and this will be their first try at the 384 nautical mile race. Ocean Gem was named overall 2016 Bartercard Coffs to Paradise and Sail Paradise champions, after winning IRC division in the Coffs to Paradise race and scoring second in division in the regatta. Hows’ teenage daughter Madison is aboard.
ONLINE
SAIL NO: SYD181
LOA: 12.7m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: John King (AUS)
YEAR BUILT: 1988
TYPE: Jarkan 12.5
OWNER: Stephen Trevillion
CLUB: Drummoyne Sailing Club, NSW
CREW: S Trevillion – Skipper, M Illsey, T Trevillion, I Fitzgerald, G Backhouse, S Piper, M Park, A Chandler, R Hammond
Stephen Trevillion’s Jarkan 12.5, Online, is new to the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, so the two have been limbering up in the CYCA’s Land Rover Winter Series in which she finished seventh overall, winning the final race, was then drawn to receive the week-long Land Rover Evoque experience, perhaps a good omen for the race ahead. Online is also a regular in the CYCA’s Ocean Pointscore Series and finished 15th overall under ORCi, including a best place of fourth; and 22nd overall in PHS, with a best place of second, in the 2015/2016 season. Now Trevillion is going to try his luck in this 384 nautical mile race.
PAPILLON
SAIL NO: 6841
LOA: 12m
CLASS: IRC
DESIGNER: Joubert/Nivelt (FRA)
YEAR BUILT: 2009
TYPE: Archambault A40rc
OWNER: Phil Molony
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: P Molony – Skipper/Navigator, M Mahoney, P Plowman, J Plant, M Tilden, J Mitchell, P Seager, R Carlier, J Walsh, M Jackson
Papillon was 18th overall and eighth in Division 3 of the 2015 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, an infinite improvement on her 35th overall and 10th in Division 3 in 2014. Phil Molony would love to get back onto overall podium, as he did in the 2013 race, when he sailed his Archambault 40 racer/cruiser to second overall and finished third overall in the BWPS, culminating in Molony being named 2014 Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year. Papillon finished 18th overall in the CYCA’s 2015/2016 OPS after missing four races. A capable boat and crew, they will enjoy same design competition with Nautical Circle. Veteran 32 Hobarts ocean racer, Ralph Carlier, joins the crew.
PATRICE
SAIL NO: 360
LOA: 13.9m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Ker Yacht Design (UK)
YEAR BUILT: 2013
TYPE: Ker 46
OWNER: Tony Kirby
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: A Kirby – Skipper, M Bellingham – Navigator, I Walker, D Jones, J Rowed, N Beaudoin, B Taylor, J Cook, H Bethwaite, J Alexander, J Mulkearns, M Te Hau, S Gajic
After receiving further modifications in March 2015 to improve light air performance, Patrice placed seventh overall and won Division 1 in the 2015 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The previous year, looking good in the early stages, the Ker 46 fell to ninth overall, but was still a good third in Division 1 and fifth overall in ORCi. Tony Kirby, a CYCA director, debuted the new mods at the light air Sydney Harbour Regatta in 2015, winning IRC Division 1 in light air, then finished third in Division 1 of the NSW IRC Championship. In August of 2015, Patrice was fourth overall in the Brisbane Keppel Race, and IRC Division 1 fourth in the SSORC, with a third in ORCi, then retired from the Sydney Hobart with main damage. Kirby bounced back to place second at the 2016 Geelong Week.
Patrice rates among the favourites for this year’s Gold Coast race courtesy of other career highlights, including winning six from six races at 2014 Airlie Beach Race Week,. A good all-round yacht launched in November 2013, Kirby sailed her onto the podium immediately after christening, inclusive of winning the 2013 Sydney SSORC and finishing second in IRC Division 1 of the 2013 CYCA Trophy Series. A highly talented crew includes Barney Walker, Twirler Jones, Nick Beaudoin, Jason Rowed and young Harry Bethwaite, son of high performance skiff designer, Julian.
PATRICE SIX
SAIL NO: MH777
LOA: 12.5m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Niels Jeppesen (DEN)
YEAR BUILT: 2007
TYPE: X-41
OWNER: Shaun Lane
SKIPPER: Andrew Prideaux
CLUB: Middle Harbour Yacht Club, NSW
CREW: A Prideaux – Skipper, S Lane, J McBain, Colin Dagger, R Bennett, F Guerts, Chris Dagger, P Damp, E Prideaux, A Hooper
Shaun Lane purchased Patrice Six from Tony Kirby in 2013. In the 2015 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, Lane steered the X-41 to 37th overall, moving up from 43rd in the 2014 race. He also scored 43rd overall in the 2015 Sydney Hobart for 22nd overall in the Blue Water Pointscore. Backed up with third overall in the X Yachts Production division at the 2016 Sydney Harbour Regatta; an improvement on fifth the previous year. Under Kirby’s ownership, Patrice Six finished fifth overall, third in IRC Division 3 and third under ORCi in the 2009 Hobart, the first time the ORCi rule was utilized in Australia. She also achieved a best result of fourth in division in the 2011 Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, which no doubt Lane will be out to beat. Phil Damp has jumped ship from his own yacht Ariel to join the crew.
PAZAZZ
SAIL NO: 99
LOA: 11.9m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2001
TYPE: Cookson 12
OWNER: Rob Drury
CLUB: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, NSW
CREW: R Drury – Skipper, C Crafoord – Navigator, E Smith, A Mackereth, B Moore, G Drury, G Barter, H Buckland, R Lees, T Dawson, D Spring
Rob Drury bought Pazazz in August 2012. He competed in the 2013/14 CYCA Ocean Pointscore finishing PHS 11th overall. In the 2014 Hobart, Drury, who is known as a short-handed sailor, finished 22nd overall and 10th in Division 3, then retired with mainsail damage in 2015. Pazazz finished 18th overall in the 2015 Blue Water Pointscore, with a best result of 12th overall in September’s Flinders Islet Race. Previously named Siena IV, the Cookson 12 was imported from Auckland in September 2008 by a syndicate of three. She has contested a variety of races, including the 2009 and 2010 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Races, but this is her first Sydney Gold Coast race. Carl Crafoord, with 30 Hobarts on his resume, joins the crew.
PLAYSTATION 4
SAIL NO: 101010
LOA: 13m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Reichel/Pugh (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2010
TYPE: RP42
OWNER: Dean Harrigan
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: D Harrigan – Skipper, P Eadie – Navigator, A Buckland, C Price, C Linhart, E Afrakoff, J Kings, J Allatt, M Owen, P Wermuth, T Doolan
Playstation 4 is the former Equinox II, which made her ocean racing debut in the 2011 Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race with former owner Anthony Dunn, who sailed her to third in IRC Division. He also finished 30th overall in the 2011 Gold Coast race, and retired from the 2012 race when a crew member fell ill. Dean Harrigan, who previously owned a Beneteau 50 named Playstation 3, purchased this RP42 and placed 11th overall in PHS Division 1 at the 2015 Sydney Harbour Regatta, with a 10th in IRC in 2016 and fifth overall in IRC Division 1 in the 2016 Australia Day Regatta. This RP42 is yet to realise her full potential, but Harrigan as ordered some new sails which could make the difference. An interesting crew mix includes the likes of six-time skiff world champ Andrew Buckland, navigator Phil Eadie (with 35 Hobarts), along with Murray Owen and Jenny Kings, owners of the yacht Mahligai.
PRETTY FLY III
SAIL NO: 10007
LOA: 15.2m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 2005
TYPE: Cookson 50
OWNER: Colin and Gladys Woods
CLUB: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW
CREW: C Woods – Skipper, D Watson – Navigator, G Norman, J Leppard, E Haagh, B Gladwell, S Dunne, J Harper, C Skinner, S McCarthy, G Marshall
One of two canting Cookson 50’s in the race, Pretty Fly III is Colin and Gladys Woods’ third boat of this name. She finished 45th overall in the 2015 Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, not her usual high standard and a far cry from her 2014 when she was fifth overall and second overall in ORCi. Pretty Fly III did not have a great 2015 BWPS either, ending 16th overall after retiring from the Rolex Sydney Hobart with a broken forestay. Her ongoing rivalry with her sistership, Victoire, is sure to continue in this race. In 2013, The Woods’ took a break from ocean racing, and went cruising for 12 months, during which time they broke the Coral Coast Race record, re-igniting the ocean racing bug. They returned for the 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart and finished 10th overall and second in division behind Victoire, which won the race overall.
PRETTY WOMAN
SAIL NO: 545
LOA: 13.8m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Farr Yacht Design (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 1996
TYPE: IC 45 Mod
OWNER: Richard Hudson/Michael Lockley/Russell Murphy
CLUB: Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, NSW
CREW: R Hudson – Skipper, M Lockley – Navigator, M Gerethy, W Hardcastle, P Antill, J Airey, T Posma, W Taylor, C Nisbett, L Bennett, J Farquharson, J O’Keefe
Pretty woman finished 40th overall in the 2015 race, a slump from her 24th overall in 2014. Skipper Richard Hudson packs a lot of sailing into his life, both locally and overseas, and with 28 Gold Coast races under his belt, the RPAYC member has won the race twice in the past and scored a trio of divisional wins. In 2015, Pretty Woman became the third yacht to beat the Brisbane Noumea race record, and finished fourth overall and second in ORCi from eight yachts in those two classes. Other results include fourth overall and fourth in Division 1 in the 2015 Pittwater Coffs Race, and 11th overall in the 2016 race. The boat is jointly owned by Richard Hudson, Michael Lockley and Russell Murphy and has been a regular competitor in all east coast races, inclusive of winning the Brisbane to Gladstone race five times, Sydney Mooloolaba four times and Pittwater to Coffs Harbour twice, among the 110 plus Cat 1 and 2 races the boat has sailed.
QUEST
SAIL NO: 9090
LOA: 13.1m
CLASS: IRC/ORCi
DESIGNER: Nelson/Marek (USA)
YEAR BUILT: 1995
TYPE: Nelson/Marek 43
OWNER: Ian Coward
SKIPPER: Steven North
CLUB: Mooloolaba Yacht Club/Sunshine Coast Yacht Club, QLD
CREW: S North – Skipper, J Moody – Navigator, G Lawrie, G Raithel, H Cowlishaw, B Coward, P Lincoln, M Hampe, R Coward, K Dowdney
A blast from the past, Quest is a Nelson/Marek 43, designed to the IMS rule and launched 21 years ago for Bob Steel. Now owned by 80 year-old Ian Coward, son Bill is aboard, and Steven North is skipper. This is their first Sydney Gold Coast race with Quest, part of a year-long program towards their zenith, the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart, for which Coward has prepared by adding a bow sprit, new rigging and sails to bring her up to Category 1 standard for IRC racing. She is one of two former Quests in the Land Rover Gold Coast race, joining Balance which won the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart, and the 2008 Hobart as Quest.
When Steel launched her in 1995, Quest won at Hamilton Island, the Telstra Cup and was second overall in the Sydney Hobart. In 1996 she won the Sydney Mooloolaba race before being shipped to Hawaii, where with her two team mates, Ausmaid and Ragamuffin, won the Kenwood Cup. Quest returned to Australia to start the cycle again, but her rig broke in the 1996 Hobart. She was then sailed to fourth overall in the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart by new owner, Kevin Miller, under the name Industrial Quest, one of just 44 to finish from 115 starters. Incidentally, she finished eighth on line, one place behind Steel’s next Quest, a Nelson/Marek 46, saying something for the design and their crews. A former Steel crew, Tom Braidwood, found the boat in a bad state in 2012, so bought and fixed her up to show kids the joy of yacht racing.
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