Big guns gather

The 2022 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race features some of the biggest names and rivals in yacht racing.

Photography by Andrea Francolini

27 July 2022

The return of legendary 100-foot maxis, Andoo Comanche and Hamilton Island Wild Oats are among the exciting storylines for the start of the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race this Saturday 30 July.

Andoo Comanche (formerly Comanche), the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race record holder, is back on the Australian racing circuit after a few successful years abroad.

Hamilton Island Wild Oats (formerly Wild Oats XI), record nine-time Line Honours winner in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, has been off the race track since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, organiser of the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast, Andoo Comanche skipper, John Winning Jr, and Hamilton Island Wild Oats skipper, Mark Richards, looked ahead to the exciting battle with the other 100-foot yacht in the fleet, Black Jack (Peter Harburg’s Reichel/Pugh 100, skippered by Mark Bradford).

Sean Langman, owner/skipper of Moneypenny and Managing Director of Race Sponsor Noakes Group, is anticipating favourable conditions for his Reichel/Pugh 69.

Matt Allen, owner/skipper of Ichi Ban – the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart overall winner, expects a tactical battle up the coast.

Meanwhile, Shane Kearns, owner/skipper of White Bay 6 Azzurro, has his eye on a third overall win for his small but mighty S&S 34.

The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is the opening race of the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, which features six races, culminating in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The race returns on Saturday 30 July 2022 for the first time in three years, following consecutive cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 384 nautical mile course takes the fleet from the start line in Sydney Harbour to the finish off Main Beach in Queensland.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is the Race Organiser and Southport Yacht Club is the Race Finishing Partner, while Noakes Group is the Race Sponsor.

In the 2019 race, Barry Cuneo’s TP52 Envy Scooters won the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy, awarded to the overall winner on IRC handicap. The Oatley Family’s Reichel/Pugh 66, Wild Oats X (skippered by Mark Richards) won Line Honours.

The 2022 fleet includes 64 yachts, notably featuring three 100-foot maxis and 12 two-handed crews.

This will be the first of the CYCA’s major races in which two-handed crews can challenge for Overall and Line Honours. NB: Avalanche and Shearwater are entered in PHS only.

SAILING - Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2018 Sydney, Australia - July 28th, 2018 (Photo by Andrea Francolini) WILD OATS XI

SAILING - Noakes Sydney-Southport 2019 - Sydney start 27/06/2019 (Photo by Andrea Francolini) AZZURO

SAILING - Income Asset Management Australian Maxi Championship/SOLAS 2021 - Cruising Yacht Club of Australia - 7/12/2021 ph. Andrea Francolini/CYCA MONEY PENNY

SAILING - Noakes Sydney-Southport 2019 - Sydney start 27/06/2019 (Photo by Andrea Francolini) ICHI BAN

SAILING - Noakes Sydney-Southport 2019 - Sydney start 27/06/2019 (Photo by Andrea Francolini) GWEILO

SAILING - Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2018 Sydney, Australia - July 28th, 2018 (Photo by Andrea Francolini) COMANCHE, WILD OATS XI and BLACK JACK

Andoo Comanche:

This famous VPLP 100, formerly named Comanche, returns to the Australian racing scene after a couple of successful years competing abroad. John Winning Jr will skipper the three-time Rolex Sydney Hobart Line Honours winner and Rolex Sydney Hobart race record holder. Other notables on the Andoo Comanche crew include Sam Fay, Justin Shaffer, Will Oxley and Seve Jarvin. NB: Sailing Master Iain Murray will not be competing in this race.

Hamilton Island Wild Oats:

All eyes will be on the former Wild Oats XI, which is back in action for the first time since 2019. At the helm of the Oatley Family’s Reichel/Pugh 100 is Mark Richards, who has skippered the boat to a record nine Rolex Sydney Hobart Line Honours wins. The Oatleys have serious pedigree in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast, winning Line Honours on 10 occasions with Wild Oats XI (6 times) and Wild Oats X (4 times). Glenn Bourke will be tactician, while Adrienne Cahalan (a veteran of 29 Sydney Hobarts) is navigator.

Moneypenny: Owner/skipper Sean Langman is the Managing Director of Race Sponsor, Noakes Group. Langman won Line Honours in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast three consecutive times with Grundig Xena (2001 – also overall winner) and Grundig (2002-2003). This year he races his Reichel/Pugh 69, Moneypenny, which was second over the line in the 2019 race as Naval Group. Crew includes Olympic silver medallist Nina Curtis.

Ichi Ban:

Matt Allen’s Botin 52 won a record-equalling third Tattersall Cup in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Matt’s previous Ichi Ban won the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast in 2016 (Overall) and his current Ichi Ban has been second overall in each of the last two races.

White Bay 6 Azzurro:

Owner/skipper Shane Kearns has steered Azzurro to two overall wins in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast (as Quikpoint Azzurro in 2015 and Komatsu Azzurro in 2017). This S&S 34 is often one of the smallest boats in the fleet, but always packs a punch.

The 2022 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast starts at 1pm (AEST) on Saturday 30 July and will be streamed live from 12.45pm on Facebook and YouTube.

goldcoast.cycaracing.com