| SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA-(21-10-2002) One of Australia’s bestknown ocean racing yachts of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Police Car, is making a return to ocean racing in this weekend’s Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race as a lead-up to contesting the 2002 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Launched in 1979, Police Car was one of the winning Australian team in the Admiral’s Cup, the year of the tragic Fastnet Race, and topscoring boat of the series. She went on to win many races along the Australian East Coast and in the Pacific.
Gosford Sailing Club member Alan Duffy has “virtually rebuilt” the Dubois-designed 12.8 metre aluminium-hulled sloop for ocean racing, after originally buying her six years ago for social outings on Brisbane Waters.
While he has raced her in short offshore races out of Broken Bay in the combined club program, the 408 nautical mile ocean race to Lord Howe Island will be Police Car’s first long ocean race since the 50th Sydney Hobart in 1994.
Duffy, who lives at Kilcare on the New South Wales Central Coast, is the fifth owner – West Australian Peter Cantwell commissioned the young English naval architect Ed Dubois to design the boat for 1979 Admiral’s Cup. He subsequently sold her to Jim (later Sir James) Hardy who raced her to Hobart four times, placing third overall in 1982, as well as skippering her in the Kenwood Cup in Hawaii and many other races.
Police Car was then owned in Tasmania for seven years, with Michael Purtell sailing the boat in two Sydney Hobarts and famous Hobart yachtsman Ediss Boyes racing her in local events. Melbourne yachtsman Mike Prendergast then became the fifth owner, sailing her in the 50th Sydney Hobart in 1994, placing 7th in Division E, and subsequently selling her to her current owner.
“We have undertaken extensive faring of the alloy hull and had it repainted in her original colours, completely checked the rig and keel, virtually bringing her back to her original,” current owner Alan Duffy said today.
A fleet of 16 yachts will set sail in the Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race at 1pm Saturday, the starting line being between Barrenjoey headland and Lion Island on Broken Bay.
Other likely Sydney Hobart Race entrants competing in the Lord Island Race, a qualifying event for the ocean classic, include Merit (ex Line 7), Eureka, Mark Twain, Sting, Strewth, She II and Berrimilla.
Applications to enter the Hobart Race close with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on Friday week, 1 November 2002.
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