The fleet in the Veolia Environmental Services 84th Bruny Island Race has slowed down in the d’Entrecasteaux Channel after a relatively fast start from Hobart’s Castray Esplanade this morning. 

In fact, some boats are becalmed after the early morning southerly breeze in the River Derwent faded away.

The fleet in the Veolia Environmental Services 84th Bruny Island Race has slowed down in the d’Entrecasteaux Channel after a relatively fast start from Hobart’s Castray Esplanade this morning.  In fact, some boats are becalmed after the early morning southerly breeze in the River Derwent faded away.

The fleet of 24 boats made a good start in a 5 knot southerly and a fast running ebbing tide, and with the breeze freshening to 10 knots, all boats enjoyed a good beat to windward down the river past Sandy Bay and Taroona.

Principal race officer Roger Martin set an inshore/offshore course for the fleet, with the forecast of good breezes throughout the day in the Channel.

David Creese’s DK46 Dekadence got one of the best starts, crossing the line on port tack at the leeward end of the line as the rest of the  fleet ran the line on starboard tack.  His timing was perfect and then, tacking on to starboard, Dekadence took a long leg towards the eastern shore before tacking back and crossing ahead of Mr Kite, Valeru, Doctor Who and Tas Marine Constructions.

The Fork in the Road and Helsal III elected to continue down the astern shore while most of the fleet tacked down past the Sandy Bay and Taroona shore or further out in the river,

However, by early afternoon the southerly had begun to fade and as the fleet sailed down the Channel towards Kettering Tony Lyall’s Valheru had taken the lead, with David Bean’s Auch recovering after a mediocre start to be in second place, according to yacht tracker positions on the satellite tracker - www.oceantrack.com.au at 1.30pm. - Peter Campbell