The Line Honours Winner Trophy Awaits

The newly created Rolly Tasker Memorial Perpetual Trophy for the fastest time finisher is waiting in Bali. Commisioned and donated by the Government of Western Australia and to be presented by the Deputy Premier Dr Kim Hames representing the Premier of Western Australia Mr Colin Barnett the trophy will be a perpetual trophy with the winner receiving a half size replica.

General Lee crew celebrates after their Bali finish   Images Anna Oldfield

Jubilation follows General Lee's finish

The Bakewell-White designed General Lee with its owners and skippers Paul Eldrid and Scott Disley suffered a prolonged wait for wind when, oh so close to the finish line but in the grip of the infamous Lombok current. In the style of English yactsmen sailing off Cowes but on this occasion in beautiful Bali they chose to kedge until the wind gradually crept back some hours later, then made their dash to the finish line just off Benoa, Bali finishing at 9:53:24 WST for an elapsed time of 7days 21hours 53minutes and 24 seconds.

Jubilation was immediately evident as the crew celebrated in the way that only a team that has tried and succeeded can know.  Now comes the waiting.  Currently in provisional first place on IRC there are still some boats on the water and yet to finish with an outside - very outside - chance of taking the handicap win from the talented General Lee crew. Only time will tell.

Super Sled smashes Fremantle to Bali Race record

Super Sled crosses the finish line off Benoa, Bali and sets a new race record

After being in a seemingly hopeless position late yesterday afternoon, when light winds had the super maxi Super Sled moving at less than 5 knots for some time, the big yacht powered her way to the Benoa Harbour finishing line at up to 15 knots for most of the night finishing at 11:30:24 local time and smashing the record set by Alan Brierty’s Limit in the 2011 race by more than 5 hours.

Skippered by Perth yachtsman Tony Mitchell, who chartered her specifically for the race, the crew was made up predominantly of Tony’s regular offshore crew from his Farr 47 Sled, plus a number of young sailors from his home club, the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.  Mitchell was adamant that some of the club’s younger talented yachtsman should have the opportunity to participate in an endurance ocean race in one of the fastest yachts in the world.

Terry Baker, the Chairman of the race organising committee and Vice Commodore of the Fremantle Sailing Club, flew to Bali yesterday to be at the finish line to greet the winner.

Skipper Tony Mitchell soon after the race finish: "Magic to break the record and a tribute to the crew work from the time we began getting the boat ready and in the water, to the race itself and our new record it was all magnificent and I am bloody glad to be here!"

Owner Ludde Ingvall: "This is a fantastic event. A true test of seamanship and sailors and one of the great racing opportunities for these super maxis to really stretch their wings over a distance that gives such a great variety of sea, wind and weather conditions and tests the boat and its crew to the maximum."

Terry Baker, Event Chairman: "Delighted a new record has been set carrying on the tradition of Alan Brierty's Limit from 2011 but also leaving enough in the can to make sure the 2015 event will be another great race against the weather, the conditions and the clock. To all you sailors out there who want a true racing challenge start preparing now for the 2015 event."

 

Massive spectator fleet farewells the Fremantle to Bali boats

On a beautiful autumn day in Fremantle Western Australia the exciting 2013 Wonderful Indonesia Fremantle to Bali Race & Rally got underway in front of hundreds of spectator craft and watched by thousands of people lining the North Mole and the beaches from Leighton to Cottesloe.

The unique and exciting Fremantle to Bali Race and Rally with its Indian Ocean flavour links the historic port of Fremantle with the Indonesian Archipelago and exotic Bali through a dazzling blue water yacht race offering fair breezes and warm friendships.

Organisers at Fremantle Sailing Club were delighted by the spectator fleet that surrounded the start of the Wonderful Indonesia Fremantle to Bali Race & Rally at noon yesterday (Saturday May 4) which included the impressive Duyfken Replica yacht under sail, adding to the spectacle.

Hundreds of craft of all shapes and sizes turned out to watch the race and rally fleets get under way in perfect, sunny autumn weather and light winds.

On shore a pre-race Parade of Sail in Fremantle’s Inner Harbour offered an up close view of the thirty three yachts heading for Bali, with crowds gathering to watch the race start from North Mole and beaches from Leighton to Cottesloe with many keen to catch a glimpse of the fleet and of Super Sled, one of only seven super-maxi yachts in the world.

At the farewell ceremony at Fremantle Sailing Club, the Governor of Western Australia, Hon. Malcolm McCusker presented a Letter of Friendship to be delivered to the Indonesian people by participating Indonesian yachtsman Rob Rambini before joining the Consul General Republic of Indonesia, Perth, E.D. Syarief Syamsuri and other officials and dignitaries to inspect the boats and farewell the skippers and crews.

The Welcome Indonesia Fremantle to Bali Race and Rally has attracted a healthy fleet of 33 boats, many of them lured to participate by the promise of the “Beyond Bali” component of the rally. The progress of the yachts can be watched via the website and the Yellow Brick tracking system which enables families, friends, boating enthusiasts and media to follow the fleet throughout the event. First sailed in 1981 the 2013 event has grown to become one of Australia’s most enticing and alluring blue water races offering exciting sailing to the participants and great armchair sailing through the tracker accessed via links on this website.

Beyond Bali:  Cruise of a Lifetime

Many of the yachts sailing to Bali in the event will remain in Indonesia after the race for the Beyond Bali cruising component, a chance for sailors to embark on great adventures in Indonesia with its more than 17,500 islands and welcoming people, cultures and exotic locations to get to know.

This year a special itinerary has been prepared for cruising the eastern archipelago which is considered among the best cruising grounds in the world with thousands of islands and some of the world’s best diving and opportunities to snorkel over more species of coral than the Great Barrier Reef.

Race committee member, Ralph Newton, who is participating in the rally on his yacht Yandanooka-t, developed the Beyond Bali programme with a spreadsheet of the route for the 2013 cruise and a link to the information on Google Earth. To see the route click here