Australian boat is race leader

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33419, 28 December 1973, Page 12

Australian boat is race leader

~\ 7. Frrs, -.Hinn—C"PjnP'i.’ SY DMA . The Western Australian yacht Siska. last night took the lead in the Sydney-to-Hobart ocean race. Sailed by the builderdesigner. IL Tasker. Siska took over from the early leader. \pollo (I*. Jolly, Hong Kong) about .”>2O miles from the finish line after a hectic run south.

e drawn away iron) the :>■ ijmainder "f the fleet, headed i bv the 1970 winner, Pacha f (Sir Robert Crichton-Browni t 34 miles astern. Two miles s further astern is the British Southern Cross Cup con- > tender. Prospect of Whitlw. - sailed by the captain of the English team, A. Slater ; In line is Australia's Admirals Cup yacht. Raga muffin (S. Fischet ). 30 miles east of Prospect of Whitbs Following these yachts are five Southern Cross Cup representatives almost m line, with less than a mile ■ separating them. They are Improbable (D. Allen. United States), Quailo 111 (D Parr, *. Britain), Barnacle Bill (D. 1 Johnstone. New' Zealand). ' Love and War (P. Kurts. New South Wales) and Vittoria • (L. Abrahams, Victoria). Quicksilver (B. Wilson , New Zealand) was five miles 1 back and five miles ahead of ' Australia’s One Ton champion. Pilgrim (G. Evans). Quicksilver leads the South ; ern Cross points, with Pilgrim ’ one of the major threats. , Inca, sailed by Roy Dickson, of New Zealand, after . its tragic start, is now level with Aquila (J. Park. Hong ’ Kong), giving the Kiwis a great chance, of retaining the Southern Cross Cup. Inca lost six hours after the death of a young crew member. New Zealand started the fourth, and final, race of the series on 274 points, 57 ahead of the. United Kingdom and 59 in front of Hong i Kong.

The leading yachts were reported to be 57 miles south of Gabo Island, with Siska some 56 miles ahead ot American Eagle's position at the same stage of last year s event. Apollo slipped back to third, two miles behind Helsa! (A. Fisher). These three yachts have