Ac 40 Boats Flying High

Newcastle Herald

Monday December 21, 1998

THE rising stars of Australian yacht design and building, the Sydney AC 40 One Designs, have emerged as IMS handicap favourites for the Sydney to Hobart and the Sydney to Coffs Harbour ocean races next week.

This follows outstanding performances in the Telstra Cup in Sydney at the weekend.

Loco, owned by David Lowe and David Coe, and steered by SOCOG Olympic sailing manager and former world Laser dinghy champion Glenn Bourke, won the Telstra Cup after a consistent series in which she placed 7-4-2-1-4-3-3.

Ron Jones' Sledgehammer, helmed by former world dinghy champion Roger Perrett, finished equal fourth but won two races to recover from a mediocre regatta start off Sydney Heads.

While Sledgehammer heads south for Boxing Day's 630 nautical mile 54th Sydney to Hobart, Loco's skipper, David Coe, heads north in the 225 nautical mile Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race next day.

Loco and Sledgehammer are Sydney AC 40 One Designs created by America's Cup team Iain Murray, Ian Burns and Andy Dovell and built by Bashford International at Nowra on the South Coast.

Loco finished third in yesterday's final 19 nautical mile Telstra Cup race to give her a two-point winning margin from Quest, skippered by 1998 Ocean Sailor of the Year Bob Steel, which won the last race.

Veteran Sydney yachtsman Syd Fischer sailed his Farr 50 Ragamuffin into third place overall.

Former Sydney to Hobart winner Ausmaid, now owned by Adelaide yachtsman Kevan Pearce, sailed a fine series to share fourth place overall with Sledgehammer.

Veteran Melbourne yachtsman Lou Abrahams won the new CHS division in his BH41, Challenge Again, with the first Greek entry in the Sydney to Hobart, the Swan 46 Aera, winning yesterday's final race.

The maxi yacht Brindabella confirmed owner George Snow's confidence that she can become the first yacht in 15 years to take back-to-back line honours in the Sydney to Hobart.