Big show for race around the island

THE Bruny Island Race, Tasmania’s oldest inshore/ offshore yacht race, first held in 1898, starts this morning with a fleet of 18 boats, the largest and arguably the best line-up for years.

The fleet includes Tasmania’s line and handicap winning yachts from the recent Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster (Oskana and Whistler) and the Launceston to Hobart races (The Fork in the Road and Philosopher).

Also in the fleet is 11-times Bruny Island Race winner Intrigue, with skipper David Calvert entering the Castro 40 once bushfires no longer threatened the family home and business down the Huon.

The 89-nautical mile circumnavigation of Bruny Island starts at 9.30am.

Heading the fleet is 2018 Melbourne to Hobart race line honours winner Oskana, Mike Pritchard’s Cookson 50 which also led the fleet home in last year’s circumnavigation of the elongated island south of Hobart. Other frontrunners are expected to be multiple line and overall winner The Fork in the Road, skippered by Gary Smith, Black Sheep (Matthew Pilkington) and Filepro (Tim Gadsby). TASMANIA’S few remaining famous Derwent class yachts and a small fleet of historical Sydney 18-footers will compete in special demonstration events on the River Derwent over the weekend as part of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

These classic sailing craft will join tall ships and other wooden vessels in today’s Australian Wooden Boat Festival Parade of Sail and then sail as fleets in demonstration events.

Today, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania at 1.30pm will start the six Derwent classers and three 18-footers from off Castray Esplanade, with a rounding mark in Sullivan’s Cove. The 18-footer will be out again tomorrow, also starting from Castray.

Tomorrow afternoon, the six Derwent classers, all from Kettering Yacht Club, will sail in their World Championship, starting and finishing off the Royal Hobart Regatta grounds. The 18-footers, replicas of the original wooden skiffs that raced on Sydney Harbour in the early 20th century, are Britannia, Yendys and Topweight.

Boat builder Ian Smith will skipper Britannia, while famous Irish yachtsman Harold Cudmore will be on the helm of Yendys.