The Middle Hart > our Yacb1 Chib was successful in winning the El Admiral ' s Cup . This is a very in1eresting series which has been won consistently 1n every ensuing year by the Royal Prince Alfred Y ach1 Club . The series IS sailed over a course involving Pelican Beach nod around South Solitary . Soulh West Solitary . Oroper Islet and Splil Solitary Islands , over u distance ranging from 21.8 ro 33.7 nau1icul miles Md through some of lhe most magnificent tropical scenery imaginable . The Soliiary islands were nnmed by CaplJlin Cook during his epic voyage of discovery . Competitors in lhe El Admiral ' s Cup had 1.0 have comple1ed the Piuwater 10 Coffs Harbour event . Each club selects three yachts to represent them in lhe series . ln 1982 the Pmwater to Coffs Harbour Y • ch1 Race anracted 49 enlries ou1 of which 48 yachts faced the s1ancr on Monday 27 December 1982 a1
11.30 am . A I S-1 .. not-plus oor ' easter greeted lhe competi1ors a1 the sllllting line off lhe Palm Beach maritime beacon . They were most anxious to ge1 going and because lhcrc were too many unidentified starters , lhe orticial Staner , Max Smith . MLA , member for Pilrwnter , fired a furlher two guns and displayed 1he first subs1i1u1e . A general recall resulted .
The breeze petered out overnight and at lhe 6 am sked on Tuesday morning rhe leading yach1 , Short Circuit , had travelled 77 miles in a little over 18
hours and Wlt . S urr B1uughlu11 J : slancJ .. Put1ice Ill was 3 miles asrem and further inshore came Salamandu 11 , Nond Ill , Dynomite and \ Vhitt Pointer . The remainder of lhe fleet Wa5 spread out 10 a disrance of 25 miles . Foru IV retired due to a broken spreader and rerumcd 10 lhe Pi11wa1er .
Al 1heS pm sked oo Wednesdaytheleaders . Nond fl / and All Bobo were north-eas1 of Nambucca and lhe fleet were spread out over a dis1ance of30 miles . On Thursdny morning Short Circuit crossed lhe finishing line 01 Coffs Harbour at 2.13 am followed by Patrice Ill 7 minutes later , with Fanny Adams
third , crossing 1he finishing line at 2.57 am . In less lhan 6 hours , 33 yachls had crossed lhe finishing line wilh lhe handicap winner . Q11or1ermaster , sailed by Graham Jones finishing al 6 am . less lhan 4 hours behind the line honours winner , Short Ciruit .
Second on colTCCted time was Lady Grace . sailed by Max Tunbridge . and third was Ray Kiely sailing uge ,, d . Two ocher Pittwater yachts , The Bu :: and De Facto ( ex Fact ). were fourth and fifth respec- 1ivcly .
The race was sailed in ligh1 conditions and took 53 hours to complete . Due to the light conditions lhe smaller ynch1s with n low rating were able 10 main · lain ll close margin on ! heir larger competi1ors .
The Bl Admiral ' s Cup was won by the Alfreds tenmof Ultra Vlolet ( Jack Violet ). ladyGrace ( Max Tunbridge ) and Quartermaster ( Graham Jones ).
Some concern was expressed for lhe retum voyage as on New Year ' s Day 1983 a strong gale
Robert Keefe . Chairman of lhe St Francis Yacht Cub Defence Syndicate for the AmAus Cup , checking over St Francis IX .
Urban Cowboy setting a record in lhe 1983 Piuwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race . 1be record was 24 hours 30 minutC $ beaten by The Office in 1984 .
Drying out gear in lhe boa1 blllbour al Coffs Harbour .
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