Champion Fleet Set for Gladstone Race

by Ian Grant on 23 Mar 2004 Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours champion Skandia heads a very impressive fleet to contest the 308 n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone ocean race starting off the historical Sandgate Pier at 11 am on Good Friday morning.

Skandia representing the Mornington Yacht Club and skippered by her owner Grant Wharington will make a strong claim to become the first Victorian yacht in 56 years to win line honours in Queensland’s premier blue water classic.

The super maxi racing in her maiden long distance race claimed a special place in Sydney-Hobart history last December when she won a 630 n/ml match race over the New Zealand yacht Zana.

She represents the most modern maxi to ever contest the Brisbane to Gladstone race and has been nominated as the line honours favourite despite racing against the past and present race record breakers Bobsled (Paul White) and AAPT (Sean Langman).

Bobsled an exceptionally fast pocket maxi set her best race time of 21-59-43 in 1993 while AAPT racing under her previous name of Grundig Zena took the record to a new benchmark with her 21-44-39 race time in 2001.

Both Bobsled and AAPT have both won three line honours trophies and their crews have the race experience and speed sailing potential to extend Skandia in a ‘drag race’ for the prestigious first to finish trophy.

However Skandia fitted with a revolutionary hydraulically controlled canting keel which is adjusted to 55 degrees off the centre line to counter balance the force of the wind on her sails will have a distinct advantage.

But her crew besides having to match the speed of AAPT and Bobsled will have to successfully master the demanding course which starts with a tricky 42 n/ml challenge to safely exit the shallow waters of Moreton Bay followed by 250 n/mls of open ocean racing before finishing the final leg up Gladstone Harbour.

Size, power and performance suggests Skandia will answer the challenge however her crew will be put to the test by the smaller AAPT and Bobsled in what promises to become a very interesting match race for the 2004 Brisbane to Gladstone line honours trophy.