Brisbane to Gladstone crews monitor the weather

3:55 AM Thu 4 Feb 2010 GMT

Brisbane Gladstone Ocean racing crews will continue to monitor the active monsoon season as they continue with the countdown to the 2010 race start at 11 am on Good Friday April 2.

Eight weeks may seen a long time for the average social sailor but that is not the case for the blue water racing skipper who are already looking at and monitoring the weather while they check the hull sails and rigging for their respective challenges to be ship-shape on race day.

There was plenty of grunt in the trade wind earlier this week with a peak of 47 knots testing the bearing endurance in the wind speed instruments at the Double Island Point Lighthouse.

The Easterly gale associated with a huge ground swell reached well beyond being fresh and frightening in fact it was survival and hopefully there will not be a repeat when the fleet exits Moreton Bay via the Caloundra Fairway Buoy on Good Friday afternoon.

A forecast of a true 20-25 knot South East breeze and moderate easterly swell would be perfect to allow the fleet to test the cloth strength in the spinnakers and the anti-broaching skills of the helmsperson during a fast wave riding sail over the 308 n/ml course while the line honours leaders build a challenge to eclipse the 20 hour 24 minute 50 second record set by Grant Wharrington's Skandia Wild Thing in 2004.

To achieve this they will need to surf-sail in the fast lane and target a finish time before 7-24-50 am on Easter Saturday with an average speed above 15.08 knots.

Peter Harburg's super fast pocket-maxi Black Jack skippered by Mark Bradford will defend her 2009 line honours title while former record holder and four time line honours champion Sean Langman of Sydney promises to return with the impressive New Zealand super maxi Investec Loyal.

Langman who previously skippered the smaller 'skiff on steriods' Grundig Zena to a remarkable 20 hour 36 minute 48 second course time to ultimately surrender his race record by the narrow margin of 11 minutes 58 seconds (2.33 seconds per nautical mile) to Skandia in 2004 has notified Race Director Herb Prendergast of his intention to compete.

An advantage of 10 metres in waterline length coupled with a massive sail area and the race experience of Sean Langman at the helm favours the canting-keeled Investec Loyal to set the pace.

However both Langman and crew can expect a strong speed sailing challenge from Black Jack which presently holds an undefeated record in Queensland's major coastal passage races.

As to be expected Sean Langman has too much respect to cast the Black Jack challenge aside because he has the first hand experience and understanding that a well sailed smaller yacht can always be a threat as proved when his 20 m pocket rocket Grundig Zena lost her 308n/ml tactical dogfight to the 30m Skandia Wild Thing by just under 12 minutes in 2004.

by Ian Grant