Team Australia is Go!

A trough line moving down the NSW coast from Queensland looks set to bring conditions at the “upper-end of ideal” says Sean Langman, skipper of the 60-foot trimaran Team Australia.

Team Australia is making an attempt on the superyacht Mari Cha III’s 1999 World Speed Sailing Record Council sanctioned time for the distance of 630 nautical miles between Sydney and Hobart, Tasmania.

The big tri is scheduled to begin the attempt tomorrow (Feb 22) at 10.30a.m. from an imaginary line between North Head and South head. The line has been set by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC). The finish will be in the Derwent River, Hobart at the official finish line of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Langman will head up a crew of seven including a late addition, his 19 year-old son Peter Langman who has already completed two Rolex Sydney Hobarts and four Bass Strait Crossings.

Team Australia need to average more than 14.83 knots to break the existing course record. They are hoping to complete the passage in just outside 24 hours – potentially slicing half a day or more off the official fastest time. The multihull is capable of a top speed of 42 knots (77.7kph).

Forecaster Roger Badham is predicting maximum breeze at the start, ESE winds at 23-27 knots and off the far south coast of NSW, E-ENE at 18-23 knots.

For the run across the Strait ENE winds 24-28 knots (maybe 25-30) are expected and NE 22-27 knots off the Tassie coast tending NNE-N/22-28 on the lower east coast.

In an ironic twist to the record attempt, Sean Langman, for the second year running, skippered the last boat across the line in the 2012 Sydney to Hobart. The boat Maluka was also the smallest and oldest in the fleet.

To track Team Australia during the attempt go to: http://my.yb.tl/teamaustralia/