Brisbane to Gladstone Race monohull record expected to roll

by Ian Grant on 5 Apr 2012 Grant Wharington confidently believes his QantasLink Brisbane to Gladstone Race record of 20 hours 40 minutes and 50 seconds set by Skandia Wild Thing in 2004 stands to be challenged over the Easter weekend.

'All of the coastal weather with a constant 15-20 knot trade wind blowing suggests we are up for a fast race.'

'My crew will complete their final training on Moreton Bay later today and will be race ready for what promises to another exciting yacht race,' he said.

His personal confidence is buoyed by the recordings registered on the wind velocity metres located at the Cape Moreton and Double Island Point lighthouses overnight.

At Double Island Point the breeze never fell below 15 knots however the direction varied between South and East South East which indicates the tacticians will need to be flexible with their strategy.

This weather forecast will certainly suit the spinnaker sailing speed of Wild Thing and her major line honours challenger the Peter Millard helmed 2011 line honours champion Lahana when both experienced crews enter into their private ‘tug o war’ style match race.

Both 30 metre super speed sailing big boats who are nominated as the joint favourites for the Citizens of Gladstone line honours trophy promise to become tactically involved in a 308 nautical mile ‘Drag Race’.

Selection of race strategy will play a major role in separating these outstanding blue water racing crews and naturally both skippers Grant Wharington (Wild Thing) and Peter Millard (Lahana) are remaining very protective of their tactical options.

However both are aware that the breeze normally blows stronger well offshore and they will need to race in the stronger breeze to log the required speed averages to finish before 7-40-50 am on Easter Saturday to set a new race record.

The expected moderate to fresh spinnaker and two sail reaching wind and associated three metre ocean swell will also set an interesting struggle in place to decide the overall winner on corrected time.

Robert Hanna’s exciting speed sailing Royal Geelong Yacht Club TP 52 Shogun V remains as the favourite however her smaller challengers including the eight time race winner the Sandy Cavill skippered Saltash ll and the four time champion Wistari (Scott Patrick) have the ‘track record’ and the shorter hull length that could allow them to surf the waves to victory.