Anaconda ahead

Press, 28 December 1978, Page 3

Anaconda ahead

NZPA Sydney The South Australian maxi-yacht, Anaconda II appears poised to smash the race record in the Hitachi Sydney-to-Hobart blue water classic after scouting away from ther rivals overnight.

When dawn broke across the Tasman sea yesterday morning, the giant 83 ft, two-masted ketch, skippered by Josko Grubic, was a clear leader.

Anaconda, with her allarmy crew working splendidly, was just north of Green Cape and 210 miles out from Sydney.

The Sydney ketch was making full use of excellent conditions and after only 20 hours had covered one third of the distance to Hobart. This left Anaconda well in sight of the race record of 2 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes and 56 seconds set by the American yacht, Kialoa in 1975. * ‘ When Anaconda radioed her position yesterday morning, she had a six-mile lead over the “surprise packet” cf the race — the Sydney sloop, Casablanca.

The white-hulled 49ft Casablanca, recently acquired bj Ken Page, a Sydney insurance brokerage consultant, mowed down her rivals in an overnight 8-to--10 knot westerly breeze. Casablanca emerged from the middle of the fleet to press the leaders when skipper George Mottle slotted into the perfect course to take full advantage of the strong southerly set. Casablanca is now the clear leader on the handicap but locked in a tense battle with Jack Rooklyn’s aging yellow-hulled Apollo.