Plucky Pukana out to defy odds

LAUNCHED in 1973 and just 8.6m, Pukana is the oldest and smallest boat starting in today’s Launceston to Hobart Race.

Aside from the boat’s age and LOA (length overall), a successful start and finish will be a notable achievement for owner-skipper Andrew Matton-Johnson.

“We’ve had four attempts to start in the L2H and this should be our second successful race start. Hopefully we’ll see a good handicap result,” Matton-John- son said yesterday, recalling that a broken mast and heavy weather had twice prevented the little yacht from reaching Beauty Point for the start.

“When we did start last we did not finish,” he added.

A fleet of 24 boats, including two from Victoria and three from the Tamar, will compete in the 11th Riversdale Estate Wines Launceston to Hobart Race, starting from Beauty Point on the Tamar River at 11.30am today.

Pukana is the sole entry from Geilston Bay Boating Club, a mixed yacht and powerboat club on the upper reaches of the Derwent. Previously she sailed out of the now defunct Austins Ferry Yacht Club.

Pukana is a Supersonic 8.6, built in Sydney 44 years ago but fitted out in Launceston.

A crew of only four will sail the boat on the 285 nautical mile race down Tasmania’s East Coast, Matton-Johnson, Vic Kaiser and Elson Broderick and his son Dusty.

Light to moderate easterly winds are forecast for today, giv- ing the fleet a beat to windward in Bass Strait from Low Head to Banks Strait.

Once through this tide-ridden passage between the Tasmanian mainland the Furneaux Group of islands, and then past Eddystone Point the fleet should enjoy fresh to strong nor’-easters down the East Coast, reaching 25 knots.

The strong nor’easters will give race leaders, The Fork in the Road (Gary Smith) and Tilt (Peter Cretan) a chance to break The Fork in the Road’s record of one day 17 hours 53 minutes.