Team Australia smashes Sydney Hobart passage record

by Sail-world.com on 24 Feb 2013 Team Australia has set a new record for the 630 nautical mile passage from Sydney to Hobart. She crossed the finishing line off Constitution Dock at 16 51 20 this afternoon, to deliver a new elapsed time of 29 hours 52 minutes and 23 second, an amazing 12 hours 30 minutes and 49 seconds inside Wild Oats XI's 2012 record time.

Earlier we reported

Team Australia has been in 25kts North north easter steaming across Storm Bay with an ETA of 5pm at the finish in Hobart, 'boat is good, boys tired and very wet' says Josh Alexander , who also had this to say 'new top speed for this run 39.6 kts, we are coming home HOT!! At this stage the boat is set to go under 30 hours for the 630 nautical mile passage.

The boat is now approaching the Iron Pot, which is just 11 nautical miles from the finish line in Hobart, conditions are easing ahead with 15 knots from the north east, while up river its blowing just 10-12 knots from the north, but thats plenty for the 60 foot trimaran.

She passed Iron Pot doing more than 21 knots and Kingston at 19 knots, she is now at 1640 just a few minutes from the finish line. At 1645 she was passed John Garrow Shoal doing 17 knots.

Bob Oatley´s 100 foot canting keel monohull Wild Oats XI set the Sydney Hobart race record time in December 2012 of 42 hours 23 mins 12 seconds. That time standards as the Passage record, which is what Langman´s Team Australia is about to smash.