Multihull march to Mooloolaba

The Team Australia crew at the end of their record run from Sydney to Auckland last year © Georgia Scholten / Subzero

A week from today a small group of multihull owners will mark a new chapter in the history of the Sydney to Mooloolaba Yacht Race, previously a major offshore event on the Australian calendar.

At the traditional start time of 1pm on a Wednesday pre-Easter, this time on April 9, Sean Langman's record-busting ORMA 60 trimaran BOQ Team Australia is highly likely to lead the charge out of Sydney Harbour when the skipper's quest for the trophy treble begins.

Beating Brindabella's outright record of 1 day 20 hours 1 minute 43 seconds set 20 years ago, setting the first multihull line honours record and winning on handicap (OMR) are feasible given the boat's achievements in southern waters, including two World Sailing Speed Council records.

BOQ Team Australia has been scarce on Sydney Harbour in the past few weeks while undergoing a refit to further turbo-charge the giant multihull. Today the trimaran is being re-launched at Langman's McMahons Point boatyard with new livery reflecting a commercial partnership with the Bank of Queensland.

"We have our sights set on creating the multihull record to beat and also breaking the outright record set by Brindabella, plus winning on handicap," said Langman. "Joining us for the resurrection is arguably Australia's current offshore multihull champion, Morticia, and we believe Ricochet."

Under the OMR rating system Morticia won handicap honours in the Pittwater Coffs race in January and the Adelaide to Port Lincoln race in February.

An entry from the 47ft carbon-fibre catamaran called Ricochet is on its way according to owner Frank Hobson who says, "Ricochet was built to race. "She is very fast and super-light with a rotating mast and a full wardrobe of carbon fibre sails. We'll probably only take two days to complete the race."

Sean Langman is honoured to be part of the team heading up the reinvigoration of this iconic event adding, "On the 9th of April 2014 we lay the foundations of a great new event which is steeped in history and reinvented with the inclusion of offshore multihulls. This is the future of bluewater racing and BOQ Team Australia is proud to be leading the way."

Organising authority Middle Harbour Yacht Club and partner at the finish, Mooloolaba Yacht Club, see the 2014 race as the first step in getting the event back on the radar. "The fact that the entry list is not huge does not concern as it gives us the opportunity to get all the ducks in a row," said MHYC Commodore John McCuaig.

"We recognise that the event was brought to the calendar late and that the majority of owners who will be attracted to the event would have planned their calendar of events. Already there has been a lot of interest for next year from a number of multi and monohull owners keen to participate."

The two clubs collaborated to found the inaugural event back in 1964 and enjoyed a long partnership over many decades. In the past few months the Commodores and sailing administrators have worked together to produce the race documents, safety measures and communications processes and establish the start and finish procedures, which will be rubber stamped next week.

Grant Wharington's maxi yacht Skandia took line honours the last time the 468 nautical mile Sydney to Mooloolaba race was run, in 2006, before the traditional feeder to the Brisbane to Gladstone race was removed from the offshore calendar by the then organising club.

Entries for the Sydney to Mooloolaba Yacht Race close today, Wednesday 2 April, 2014.

View the Notice of Race and enter the Sydney to Mooloolaba yacht race online.

www.smyr.mhyc.com.au