Bill's wild about Wedgetail

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Ocean racing yachtsman Bill Wild is in a strong position to celebrate a popular win in Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race later today.

The 12.8 Wedgetail raced by a composite crew of Queensland and New South Wales sailors including former race winner Mike O’Brien and World championship winning New South Wales yachtswoman Vanessa Dudley capitalised on a 308 n.ml drag race against the Bruce Absolon skippered Spirit of the Maid to provisionally hold the fastest corrected course time.

Both Wedgetail and Spirit of the Maid became intensely engaged in a match race after line honours winner Black Jack disappeared over the horizon to win back to back line honours trophies with an exceptionally fast average speed 14.08 knots.

The intensity of the boat on boat ‘dog fight’ was resolved by the minor margin of one second at the finish ending an absorbing battle when Nikon Spirit of the Maid held out the faster finishing Wedgetail.

Skipper Bill Wild was confident when he stepped ashore despite being beaten by the narrowest possible margin for a career best line honours result.
“Wedgetail is an exciting performer and was in her element riding the quarter wave of Spirit of the Maid at 17.5 knots across the top of Hervey Bay”. Bill Wild said.

The match race against her larger rival allowed the Wedgetail crew to hold  the fastest corrected handicap result outpacing the line honours winner Black Jack by 9 minutes 48 seconds while the Brisbane based Farr 40 Eleven skippered by Dave Elliott claimed third another 2 minutes 5 seconds of the pace.