Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard

Forecast in place for Brisbane to Gladstone record chase

by Ian Grant on 6 Apr 2012
Grant Wharington’s Maxi Wild Thing Rolex/Daniel Forster http://www.regattanews.com
Grant Wharington’s super maxi ocean racer Wild Thing has the perfect moderate to strong wind forecast to enter a ‘grudge match’ to protect her Qantaslink Brisbane to Gladstone Race record over the Easter Weekend.

Eight years ago racing in a similar trade wind forecast, the 30 m Wild Thing expressed her remarkable boat speed to set the existing record of 20 hours 40 minutes 50 seconds.

However the Wild Thing crew will face a formidable opponent with the Peter Millard skippered Sydney super maxi Lahana also poised to defend the line honours trophy won a year ago.

The duel between the two high performance ocean racing combinations promises to turn into a 308n/ml match race when the start signal is fired at 11 am this morning.

Understandably both skippers and tacticians are keeping their race strategy a secret after they enter the important open ocean via the Caloundra Fairway Buoy later today.

As expected the leader out of Moreton Bay will have the upper hand and the Wild Thing crew could be hard pressed to lead Lahana as their deeper draft will restrict their tactical options during the initial 42 nautical miles of racing though the shallow waters

But it will be game on when the match racing maxi’s sail into the fresher winds presently blowing offshore.

A spinnaker sailing trade wind which gusted to 22 knots at Double Island Point earlier this morning is expected to continue to blow up to 25 knots later today.

This is a perfect velocity to propel the big boats at the required record challenging speed to reach the finish off Gladstone’s Auckland Creek before the record time expires 7-40-50 am tomorrow.

While this forecast will allow Wild Thing and Lahana to set a crackling pace they are not expected to sail above the required handicap rating to beat the impressive group of smaller yachts including the Royal Geelong Yacht Club TP52 Shogun V (Robert Hanna) the Roland Dane skippered Jessandra 11 and the eight time race winner Saltash ll jointly skippered by father and son Peter and Sandy Cavill.
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastRolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTERAllen Sailing

Related Articles

Exiting new product for METS
A+T Instruments is proud to be supplying instruments for some of the most advanced yachts The marine world gathers at METS in Amsterdam. A+T is proud to be supplying instruments for some of the most advanced new-build yachts. Watch the video to see how we can help you with your next project.
Posted today at 4:00 pm
A Day at the Allen Factory!
New and innovative products, cutting-edge manufacturing techniques The Allen factory, based in Southminster, Essex in the UK, makes many of the deck hardware and fittings that we use in our sailing, be that on dinghies or keelboats.
Posted today at 11:00 am
2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final day 2
The battle intensifies as the world's best close in on the crown Perfect trade-wind conditions returned to Ho'okipa today for Day 2 of the 2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final, delivering a full day of 5 Star competition as both the men's and women's draws charged toward Finals Day.
Posted today at 10:12 am
Fireball World Champion interview
Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler talk about their Olympic journey too After their close fought win at the Fireball Worlds in Garda we caught up with the Champions Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler to find out a bit more about their Olympic journey and why and how they ended up competing for a Fireball Worlds in 2025.
Posted today at 9:05 am
Sam Haynes eyes third Rolex Sydney Hobart win
The CYCA Commodore and defending champion will return for the race's 80th edition Sam Haynes, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) and defending Overall champion of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, will return for the race's 80th edition.
Posted today at 6:27 am
The International Masters Regatta renamed
To honor late founder, Don Trask The 2025 International Masters Regatta, which as of October 14, 2025 has been officially renamed the Don Trask International Masters Regatta, is set to return to San Diego Yacht Club October 17-19.
Posted today at 5:57 am
Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race Day 6
Counting down the miles The Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) is now into its fifth day and the crews of two boats are counting down the miles to the finish line as they look forward to arriving into Auckland, thoughts turn to what they will do on arrival.
Posted today at 12:12 am
America's Cup: ACP's Brave New World
A look at the still secret Brave New World now in place for the America's Cup It is often said that you read a new set of rules twice. The first time to see what they say, and a second much longer read, to see what isn't said. This is our analysis from the second read of the media statement issued Wednesday.
Posted on 15 Oct
Yachting Malta Coastal Race
A perfect prelude to the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race The Yachting Malta Coastal Race, organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, provided a thrilling variety of conditions for an international fleet — a fitting appetizer ahead of the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Posted on 15 Oct
Women's Match Racing & The Magenta Project partner
The Magenta Project will be named as an Official Charity Partner of the Women's WMRT The Women's WMRT today announced a new strategic partnership with The Magenta Project, the award-winning global charity founded in 2015 to promote and build greater equity and inclusion for women in the sport of sailing and the wider marine industry.
Posted on 15 Oct