Grundig favourite for Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs

by Rob Kothe on 1 Jan 2002 One of the fastest boats in southern hemisphere, the Dovell 66 Grundig, retired from the Sydney to Hobart race with major delamination of hull in Bass Strait.

Yet amazingly, she will be lining up tomorrow morning as line honours favourite for the 227-mile dash from Pittwater to Coffs Harbour.

Langman phoned Sail-World by Stratos Iridium satellite phone from the middle of Bass Strait 'we crashed off a very steep wave and pancaked. Water started pouring in and we have cut up the bunks to make frames and we have stemmed the water inflow with bunk cushions,' he said.

Grundig retired to Eden, where boat builder Langman and his own dedicated crew of Noakes Boat yard tradesman made major repairs to the frames and bow of the boat. Time was so short, that even on the delivery trip back to Sydney additional resin was being added to the inside of the boat.

On the eve of the race, before the skipper's briefing Langman commented

'We were going well in the Sydney to Hobart race, when we delam'd, we were close astern of the 80-footer maxi Nicorette, who came second outright.

We are sure that the light conditions in the second half of the race would have suited us better than anyone else.

We won the Pittwater to Coffs race last year, just outside the record and I'd like to do well again this year, as a thank you to the dedicated team who worked so hard to get us to the starting line.'

Sail-World, the largest sailing web site in the southern hemisphere will
be covering the Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs race in detail.

Ian 'Stripey' Grant and Rob Kothe will be photographing and writing from
the start-line tomorrow. Sail-World will be providing charts with boat positions
after each sked, detailed division-by-division mid-race progressive
results and the latest newss. We will be photographing from the
startline, and the finish line in Coffs Harbour.

Full race information will be provided at Sail-World's Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs site. http://www.sail-world.com/pittwatertocoffs