Sydney to Mooloolaba Race, Chris Williams on Seacart 30 trimaran 'Morticia' retires

From the following article on mysailing.com.au

http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/sydney-mooloolaba-fleet-down-to-just-one-as-weather-gods-play-havoc

Sydney - Mooloolaba fleet down to just one as weather gods play havoc
10 Apr 2014

A high pressure system over the southern Tasman Sea and severe tropical cyclone Ita approaching the east coast of Far North Queensland has played havoc with the wind off the NSW coast and quashed any hopes of a record run in the Sydney to Mooloolaba Yacht Race.

 

Benign conditions forced the hand of Shaun Carroll’s 30-foot trimaran Morticia, the crew advising the race committee just after 9am this morning, Thursday April 10, 2014, that they had pulled the pin north of Newcastle and were heading to Port Stephens.

Skipper Chris Williams’ weather routing predicted their arrival at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, too many days at sea for their food and water stocks, and sense of humour.

 

read more here

 

A video of the start by Dale Lorimer linked in the following Sail-World article shows the extremely light conditions that have dogged the race from the beginning and quashed any hope of a new race record: 

 

http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=120980&refre=y&ntid=0&rid=1

2014 Sydney to Mooloolaba race, Small but high quality multihull fleet prepare to depart on 9th April

From the following article on afloat.com.au

http://www.afloat.com.au/press-releases/multihull-march-to-mooloolaba

02-Apr-2014                    
                 
 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.

read more here

Team Australia to compete in 2014 Auckland to Bluff yacht race

Team Australia to compete in the Auckland to Bluff Race next year.

From the following article submitted to Sail-World by Dean Wilson

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/2014-A2B-Ocean-Race---Team-Australia-set-for-Kiwi-challenge/111816

Team Australia will be on the start line of the A2B Ocean Race with a crew of 8 sailors, one more than the crew that set the world record for the Sydney to Hobart distance. That crew consisted of Sean Langman, his 19 year old son Peter, and five sailing mates.

Sean Langman is looking forward to taking part in the NZ event next year, saying that he – 'sees the A2B race as a new oceanic challenge that could rival the Sydney to Hobart'

Langman is wary of the challenges that the race presents, saying – 'the southern Ocean always presents a challenge and shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially in an ORMA 60 high performance Trimaran.'

read more here

Sean Langman's new Sydney to Hobart multihull record ratified by the WSSRC

The Sydney to Hobart outright and multihull record have been smashed by Sean Langman on the ORMA 60 Team Australia (formerly Banque Populaire IV)

From the following Sail-World article

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/New-world-record-establishment-announced-by-WSSR/107439

The World Speed Sailing Record Council has now announced the establishment of a new World Record.

Record: Sydney to Hobart
Yacht: 'Team Australia' ORMA 60
Name: Sean Langman AUS and 2 crew.
Dates:. 21st to the 23rd February 2013.
Start time: 23;58;57 UTC on 21/02/13
Finish time: 05;51;20 UTC on 23/02/13
Elapsed time: 1 day 5 hours 52 minutes and 23 seconds
Distance: 630NM
Average speed: 22kts

read more here

Sean Langman and Team Australia ORMA 60 smash Sydney to Hobart passage record

From the following Sail-World article:

http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=106860

Team Australia has set a new record for the 630 nautical mile passage from Sydney to Hobart. She crossed the finishing line off Constitution Dock at 16 51 20 this afternoon, to deliver a new elapsed time of 29 hours 52 minutes and 23 second, an amazing 12 hours 30 minutes and 49 seconds inside Wild Oats XI's 2012 record time.

Earlier we reported

Team Australia has been in 25kts North north easter steaming across Storm Bay with an ETA of 5pm at the finish in Hobart, 'boat is good, boys tired and very wet' says Josh Alexander , who also had this to say 'new top speed for this run 39.6 kts, we are coming home HOT!! At this stage the boat is set to go under 30 hours for the 630 nautical mile passage.

read more here

There is also a video from ABC News Australia here:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-23/new-sailing-record-for-sydney-hobart-passage/4535982?&section=news

Team Australia Sydney Hobart passage record attempt 2013 - Josh Alexander

Team Australia on standby to attempt to set new passage record for the Sydney to Hobart Route

Team Australia is Banque Populaire IV a much travelled ORMA 60 now setting new records "Down Under".

From the following Sail-World article submitted by Lisa Ratcliff

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Team-Australia-aims-to-shatter-long-standing-Sydney-Hobart-record/106719

The fastest yacht in the southern hemisphere, Sean Langman’s imposing 60-foot trimaran Team Australia and its six adrenaline-fuelled crewmembers are gearing up to try and break the first of a number of South Pacific course and race records. World-renowned marine forecaster Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham says conditions this coming Friday, February 22, could create the perfect weather window to break Mari Cha III’s 1999 course record from Sydney to Hobart.

Forecast fresh easterlies, little seaway and beating the start of the whale migration north from Antarctica are the necessary ingredients for the attempt. Based on current models all these elements are set to align later this week.

Langman and his crew are planning to leave Sydney Harbour from a set of bearings between North and South Head on Friday morning. They will use the famous Sydney Hobart yacht race finish line off Battery Point in Hobart to mark the end point of their record attempt.

A recording box will be installed tomorrow on Team Australia by World Sailing Speed Record Council representative John Brookes and the information verified at the finish, should the 14 year-old fastest course time be bettered.
read more here

and a video of Team Australia in action in the Sail Paradise regatta: