Steinlager first to Adelaide

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 96

Steinlager first to Adelaide

PA Wellington After six nights at sea and after encountering a Southern Ocean gale “of the worst kind,” Steinlager 1 reached Adelaide yesterday morning to complete the fifth leg of the Bicentennial Around Australia yacht race, organisers said. Steinlager 1 now leads the secondplaced yacht, Verbatim, by more than 600 miles in the 7600-mile event. Verbatim is sailing across the Great Australian Bight, a region that for the last 48 hours has been swept by strong winds and high seas. These have caused considerable problems for two yachts in the race. Alstar skippered by Alby Burgin, aged 74, suffered a knockdown on Thursday and leading monohull N.B.L. Technovator crewed by a New Zealander, Phillip Airey, has suffered a damaged rudder and is heading for the town of Albany for repairs. The high winds and seas which caused the damage and which Peter Blake and Mike Quilter on board Steinlager 1 encountered during their run through to Adelaide, have kept all the other yachts at home. The rest of the fleet were due to leave Fremantle for Adelaide but have elected to remain in port rather than risk the ocean storms. Verbatim had earlier delayed its start by about seven hours in order to miss the worst of the storms. Blake said they were worse than the weather that claimed two yachts and a man’s life in the first leg of the race from Sydney to Mooloolaba. b