MELBOURNE yacht Scarlet Runner smashed the Adelaide to Port Lincoln Yacht Race record when it cruised over the finish line in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The boat arrived just after 3am, taking 12 hours, 3 minutes and 17 seconds to win the race, beating the record by more than two hours.
Skipper and owner Robert Date said it was a fantastic finish and the crew were happy with the win, especially as the boat got off to a bad start.
Besides setting a new race record for the 156 nautical mile course, the crew also won on IRC and PHS handicap corrected time.
"It was pretty wild; we had 30 knots at times and driving rain squalls when we couldn't see anything," Mr Date said.
Second to cross the line about 20 minutes later was Secret Men's Business 3.5, and third was Calm, a Victorian yacht that is in Port Lincoln for the first time.
After missing the start by more than eight minutes Scarlet Runner reached speeds of up to 23 knots during the race.
Scarlet Runner finished 14 minutes in front of 2010 Rolex Sydney-Hobart race winner Secret Men's Business 3.5, the previous Adelaide to Port Lincoln record-holder, skippered by Geoff Boettcher from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia.
Third to finish, about another 15 minutes behind, was Calm, skippered by Jason Van Der Slot, from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club.
Aboard Secret Men's Business 3.5 were Port Lincoln residents Steve Kemp and Andy Dyer.
With winds at 30 to 40 knots one crew member almost went overboard after the yacht broached and a safety rail broke. Mr Kemp reached for the crew member but dislocated his shoulder as a result.
Owner and skipper Geoff Boettcher said the wind direction and strength was much different to the pre-race forecasts.
"We had a fantastic fast ride across the Gulf of St Vincent, with up to 25 knots of boat speed," he said.
"It's the fastest we've ever been across our gulf in all the years I've been sailing."
In other divisions, The Business won the Sydney 38 division and Sculptor won the performance handicap division.
Lincoln Week committee member Fran Solly said it was an unusual to start the race with wind behind the yachts, meaning there were huge speeds for the first half of the race.
The most wind Scarlet Runner saw was 34 knots and the fastest it went was 23 knots.
Port Lincoln yacht Fresh, skippered by Kym Clarke came 19th, taking 19 hours, 29 minutes and 55 seconds, and Lincoln Mentor, skippered by Simon Turvey, crossed the line in 23 hours, 41 minutes and 54 seconds.
Place getters were presented with trophies at the Port Lincoln Yacht Club on Sunday.
Regatta chairman Steve Kemp said the forecast for the four-day Lexus Lincoln Week regatta, which began yesterday, was for moderate southeast breezes, which would be ideal for the short-course racing on Boston Bay.
For full results, go to www.plyc.com.au
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