The high tech Sydney racer Xena creates a stir in the Brisbane to Gladstone race.

by Rob Kothe on 17 Apr 2001 The high tech racer Xena, a Murray Burns, Dovell designed and modified Open 60 created a major stir on Moreton Bay last Friday at the start of the 53rd Centenary of Federation Brisbane to Gladstone Race.

Sean Langman's Xena has become a familiar sight for spectators and media watching major sailing events in the Southern states, but her pedigree was less understood on Moreton Bay on Easter Friday morning..

The Brisbane to Gladstone race is unique in that the multihull division starts at the same time as the monohull yachts and spectators are used to seeing the local catamarans speeding away from the monohull fleet.

Buried on the start, tactician Ian Buggsey Potter had Sean Langman tack Xena to port and she picked her way through the second row of starters.

SAP Ausmaid had won the start and Roger Hickman had the Farr 47 well placed, ahead of the giant Queensland maxi Bobsled over towards the crowds lining the shore.

The breeze was only about 8 knots, as Xena struck to the seaward side of the course, initially having trouble filling her giant red asymmetric.

The large spectator and media fleet attracted by the spectacle of this twin wheeled foreign monster with fluorescent twin rudders, were motoring comfortably along ahead and to each side of her. The exclusion zone system seemed of little consequence.

But the dark clouds soon produced what was to be the first squall of many in this 300-mile race. Xena, first to receive the pressure suddenly accelerated and the powerboats scattered in panic as they found the red monster powering towards them at more than 25 knots.

Xena speared around the first mark of the course Garnet Rock well clear of the multi-hull fleet and it became clear to everyone on the water that Bobsleds 1993 race record was under serious threat.

This was further punctuated when the aluminium hulled Bobsled, with her black spinnaker well filled, arrived at the mark 500 metres behind Xena, amongst the fast moving catamarans.

The spectator fleet, unable to keep up, could only watch as Xena disappeared up Moreton Bay, with a 30 knot following breeze..

The Queensland media suddenly understood that the strong south easterlies sweeping the course could deliver a new race record.

The next 20 hours were going to deliver some major sporting news and they went beserk.

By the time the 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 the phones ringing off the hook.

Langman and his Xena crew became the Queensland Easter news story…

Sail-World's StarTrack's satellite tracking system played a major role in following the race. Reporters soon realised that helicopters could be directed to the speeding Xena, as she surged towards Fraser Island, with position co-ordinates updating every ten minutes on the Sail-World website.

Radio station news reporters, began providing hourly updates on Xena's progress towards Breaksea Spit, sitting in front of their PC's

Over the next few days, Sail-World will be bringing to its audience, the many sailing and human stories which emerged from this epic race.