Grundig Xena has the pedigree to take the world 24-hour distance record.

by Rob Kothe on 19 May 2001 Grundig Xena smashed Bobsled's race record in 53rd Centenary of Federation Brisbane to Gladstone at Easter and is now preparing for an assault on the world 24-hour mono-hull distance record.

Grundig Xena, a Murray Burns Dovell designed lightweight Open 60 was built for round the world racing. Under the name Magna Data she showed early speed setting both the Australian circumnavigation and Trans Tasman records.

Sean Langman from the respected Sydney boat yard Noakes at North Sydney took Magna Data south to Hobart in 1999. During that race flying along in strong down-wind conditions she broke one of her twin rudder and having considerable difficulty tacking, limped into Hobart in fourth place.

Langman reconfigured the boat, working to improve her performance. In the 2000 Sydney to Hobart in strong down-wind conditions she clocked speeds of 33 knots before tearing a mainsail and retiring. These high-speed runs revealed the kind of problem most sailors dream about! At speeds close to 30 knots, as she stood up in a seaway, the windward rudder would re-enter the water creating drag and slewing the boat around. The only solution was to sail at hotter angles than desirable, to keep the windward rudder clear of the water.

In preparation for an assault on the Gladstone record the leading edge on Grundig Xena's twin rudders was sharpened. This reduced the re-entry problem enabling the boat to sail flatter and faster.

Grundig Xena created a major stir on Moreton Bay at the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone Race, as spectators and media suddenly realised her potential. In an eight knot breeze SAP Ausmaid won the start, ahead of the giant Queensland maxi Bobsled. Buried on the start, Grundig Xena picked her way through the second row and struck to the seaward side of the course.

The large spectator and media fleet attracted by the spectacle of this twin wheeled foreign monster with fluorescent twin rudders, motored comfortably ahead and to each side of her. The dark clouds soon produced what was to be the first of many squalls in this 300-mile race. Grundig Xena, first to
receive the pressure, suddenly accelerated and the spectator boats scattered in panic as the red monster powered towards them at 25 knots.

Grundig Xena speared around the Garnett Rock well clear of the fleet. Current record holder Bobsled, arrived at the mark 500 metres behind her and everyone suddenly realised Grundig Xena could break the record.

By the time the senior QCYC race managers reached the Gladstone Race control room, some three hours later, the TV networks were besieging the building and the radio stations had phones ringing off the hook. Langman and his crew had
become the Queensland Easter news story.

The official race web site Sail-World's 'StarTrack' satellite tracking system played a useful role for those following the race. Radio and Television station news reporters, sitting in front of their PC's began providing hourly updates on Grundig Xena's progress towards Gladstone.

She surfed along the Fraser Island beaches, in moderate to fresh southeast winds and by 10pm was 6 miles north of Indian Head, half way to Gladstone.
With her smaller asymmetric kite, producing more speed in the 15 knots south easter, the red hulled boat has broken away from the current record holder Bobsled - an incredible 48 miles behind.

But things were getting a little pear-shaped. Conditions were starting to lighten. Grundig Xena, locked out by a large Merchant ship steaming close to her gybe angle, was forced north from Breaksea Spit Light. She went wide well to the north of Lady Elliott looking for pressure in a softening Easting breeze.

It looked like the dream was over, the Sail-World 'Star Track' tracking updates showed Grundig Xena had moved from being half an hour inside race record time to half an hour outside the record. Gradually the breeze increased as the night wore on, but only the Noddy terns were there to cheer as Grundig Xena
cleared Lady Elliott Island 65 miles from the Gladstone Harbour finish, in winds of 25 knots.

Throughout the run, as Grundig Xena over-ran waves, speeds would go from 24 down to 16, with waves surging over the deck back to the coffee grinders. These conditions created enormous stresses on both the boat and crew. Through the
night, at least five of the crew worked on what their skipper calls 'crisis management', as the big boat began to run out of blocks, sheaves and sheets.

On past Lady Musgrave reef, Grundig Xena had sailed with a locked spinnaker sheet, for 90 minutes as repairs were made; the drivers just kept the boat under her spinnaker.

In strengthening morning winds she sailed past Bustard Head just after dawn, with previous record holder Bobsled was still some 100 miles back. Grundig Xena swept up Gladstone Harbour at 25 knots, rooster-tail streaming from her stern, crossing at 08:44:39, breaking the old record by 15 minutes and 4 seconds.

Langman believes Xena can lower her own record, set in an average wind of 19 knots. The previous race record in 1993 had seen average winds of over 25 knots.

With the latest modifications, at windspeeds of between 16-22 knots at wind angles of 100-110 and with full water ballast, the big red boat can sail 1.5 knots faster than the breeze. Up to 28 knots of windspeed she's as fast as breeze, beyond that a little slower. During the Gladstone race her fastest speed was 28.5 knot in 29 knots of wind.

Now back in Sydney Grundig Xena is being prepared for an attempt on the World mono-hull 24-hour distance record of 467.7miles. It is held by Bernard Stamm's Open 60 Armor-Lux-Fois Gras.

That means bigger deck gear, with some wire sheets replacing Spectra and smaller 2.2-ounce spinnakers. Then Langman and a small crew will be looking for a 30-40 knot southerly front to blast out from Sydney towards New Caledonia north east of Australia at speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Star Track satellite units will track their record attempt and their progress will be displayed on the Xena mini-site on http://www.Sail-World.com

Then by July, the ' big skiff' will be prepared for the Sydney Southport and Hamilton Island Race week's where owner and crew are keen to show all they have learnt over the last 12 months about sailing very hard and very fast.

But come Easter 2002 expect to see Xena's distinctive red hull on the startline for the 54th Brisbane to Gladstone. Sean Langman and his hardened race crew will be back to break their own race record.

But now their focus is on the crewed mono-hull 24-hour record.

Roger 'Clouds' Badham, the Australian yachting meteorologist, working from his NSW South Coast headquarters explains that Grundig Xena is looking for a wide cold front sweeping up from the Southern Ocean, which will allow them to ride the system until they catch the strengthening south easterly trade winds, sweeping across the Coral Sea. He is closely following the current patterns and is currently watching the next system, which is forecast to hit Sydney late next week.