| HOBART, AUSTRALIA-(29-12-2003) A yacht owner’s worst nightmare is when his old boat looks like knocking off his new boat in a race; Sydney yachtsman Geoff Ross is this morning facing that prospect in the IMS division of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Yacht Tracker polling of the fleet this morning had Bounder, Ross’ previous boat, heading the IMS leader board at 0800 hours on progressive corrected times, while his new boat, Yendys, dropped from first to third in standings. In between these two is Michael Spies’ First National Real Estate.
Ross won the 1999 Sydney Hobart Race overall with Bounder, then called Yendys, and later to be named Sting. Chris Little, Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in England has chartered the Farr 49 for this year’s race, renaming it Bounder after his yacht in the UK.
Yendys, a Judel/Vrolijk 52 and former Mediterranean IMS champion, had headed IMS standings for the previous 24 hours, but the Yacht Tracker polling of the fleet at 0800 hours showed Bounder leading from the consistently well placed First National Real Estate, a Beneteau 40.7, with Yendys third.
These four boats, still sailing across Bass Strait or down the East Coast of Tasmania this morning, have all at times figured in the top three on IMS standings.
In the IRC handicap division, Australia’s best-known maxi yacht, George Snow’s Brindabella has displaced the two super maxis, Skandia and Zana, from top of the board, as have at least five other boats.
At the 0800 hour Yacht Tracker polling, Brindabella was placed first ahead of First National Real Estate, Yendys, Quest (last year’s IMS overall winner), Pippin and Impeccable.
In the PHS division, Tony Williams’ Balmain Experience heads the progressive handicap standings although she is still in Bass Strait, north of Flinders Island. In second place is Wahoo (Brian Emerson) and third Witchdoctor, skippered by Maurie Cameron.
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