Team Australia set to depart on Sydney to Auckland record attempt

Team Australia now have a dedicated website with tracker to follow their record attempt on the Sydney to Auckland route:

http://teamaus.net.au/

There is no current WSSRC ratified record for this route they are aiming at around the 3 day mark in the ORMA 60 Team Australia (formerly Banque Populaire IV).

 

final preparations being carried out now and nearly ready to undock, the tracker is here: http://teamaus.net.au/track-us-now/

 

The weather doesnt look particularly good . Strong northerly for the first 48 hr, then high pressure and no wind approaching the New zealand coast. Do they choose a departure date or is the date fixed.

 

They are competing in the Coastal Classic which starts on the 25th of October in New Zealand so they had to go at some time and I presume they wanted to leave some wriggle room for repairs should anything break during the crossing. I believe the opportunity to create a WSSRC reference time to be competed against is more their focus than waiting for the best weather window.

 

They started on time otherwise it would have cost them a fortune. officials from England with hotel expenses plus min I think $2000 approx plus air fares, to witness the start, record the time and to have their box on board.

They are just over half way across in winds 24.6 knots from 96 degrees true.


Tracker

http://teamaus.net.au/track-us-now/

OC

 

recent facebook update:

Just heard from Sean (8.15am Sydney time), they are skirting around the outside of a big wind hole in a 10 knot breeze just north of east & doing 15 knots of boat speed heading towards the tip of the North Island.

They hit something first afternoon out, possibly a shark, & have some foil damage that was causing the tri to nosedive at high speed, when they get on the other gybe they should be able to see the damage & whether it extends to the rudder.

Best quote from the skipper: "It's 22dg and beautiful flat seas...it's bikini weather... if we had them we'd be putting them on."

How about this cracker shot from Andrea Francolini?

 

Or possibly and more likely to be daily rubbish dumped from commercial shipping, cruise liners, container ships and cargo ships or even a submerged container that has fallen from a ship.

They where given a time of departure and course to avoid the whale migration also. Possibly the whales where lodging a protest, the boat was a bit late or the whales where in a different place where they thought they where.

 

latest update from Team Australia

Team Australia has made outstanding progress overnight and will be well inside the three day mark for the Trans-Tasman crossing.

At 17 knots of boat speed they are due to finish within the hour off North Head.

They are heading to Silo Marina to berth, if there's public access go & congratulate the guys for an outstanding world speed record (to be officially verified).

 

Unofficial Time Please for the distance.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

 

From their FB page:

Team Australia has finished their Trans-Tasman speed record attempt.

They took roughly 67 hrs 10 mins to sail from Sydney to Auckland and averaged 18.7 knots over the 1,260nm course.

Will post official finish & elapsed times when advised, plus some crew shots taken by our Auckland photographer.

 

Three entries on Sail-World about the new trans tasman record

press release from Lisa Ratcliff:

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Team-Australia:-Big-Birds-record-flight-to-Auckland/115894

Photos of the finish from Auckland, NZ by Peter Idoine

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia...alias-finish-at-end-of-new-record-mark/115892

photos by Richard Gladwell:

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Team-Australia-sets-record-for-Trans-Tasman-crossing/115891

 

Well Well.

Why are they calling his vessel a giant multihull. Langman Also states the record in his opinion will stand for decades.

and why is the news media using the words Team Australia sets new record time. What was the old record time?

There has probably been faster times but not officially recorded.

Will probably be broken the next attempt. Was not fast at all when once you realize and I claim the passage is ideal for a multihulls and Multihull races more so than any other passage in the South Pacific region. All reaching across the Tasman either with a southerly sector breeze or from a northerly sector for the route and vessels only have to miss a southerly north cape the Beam rock - Rangitoto Light House breeze which is not very often.

News item trying to social climb - all names dropping - Grant Dalton in particular. Grant Dalton has probably never heard of him.
Quote
"Langman said he was preparing to organise an Australian bid if Team New Zealand had won in San Francisco because he agreed with their sentiments over a nationality clause returning to the Cup.

But with Bob Oatley's Hamilton Island Yacht Club being named by Cup holders Oracle as the Challenger of Record, he was now in a holding pattern. He wanted to see what form the next Cup would take but was clearly concerned the Australians might simply fall into line with Larry Ellison's thinking."

"I'm sceptical about where it will end up. I'm pleased the Oatleys have put their hands up, certainly," Langman said.

"We've said to the Oatleys 'anything we can do to help out' but there's been no response so far.

They are probably still sourcing google to find out who this chappie is.

Langman was agreeing with Dalton a nationality clause returning to the Cup. That would be worst thing to happen to the Americas Cup. The yanks almost killed all challengers with their nationality clause re building and materials. They could not be beaten at the time because they where the sole manufactures re the best and advantages sail cloth in the world and challengers where not allowed to use it. You had to use sail cloth manufactured from within your own country. Had to relent to get challengers.

There has never been a nationality clause re crew as far as I can recall but I am prepared to be corrected on that statement.

Nationality clause what about the most import ingredient to participate with a national vessel. Funding. Nationality clause [ Americas Cup ] if you agree with it then must refer to all funding , financing, sponsorship from the country they are claiming to represent. Even to the extent the company must be 100 % owned and operated with head offices in the representing vessels country.


Can you see any challengers meeting that.

NZ could not even fund their challenge vessel / boat but most NZ,s expressed isn't our boat doing well.


OC

 

It is self promotion. But..... whats wrong with self promotion? How else will you spread the good news and gain more sponsorship cash.

As for nationality rule. Sounds good to me. A Chinese boat should have Chinese sailors on board.
A nationality rule would also drive campaign costs down. Nothing wrong with that

 

If he is such a good sailor with a competitive boat why isn't he in the northern hemisphere competing against the best in the world and trying to break their records instead sailing where there is no records in the southern hemisphere. Be interesting to see how they go against the kiwi boats in the coastal classic.

Campaign costs ??? sure would no new country would challenge if they have to use their own sailors from their own country.

Imposing a nationallity rule in the pinacle of sailing is a bit callous is it not. People don't have the right to deny other people the right to earn a living or be employed.


A nationallity rule would render about 600 Aussies and Kiwis jobless and possiblity unable to earn a living they presently enjoy. Is that Fair. Plus its the boat that should be the nations pride and joy. People don't refer to the kiwi or aussie crew as doing, well or marvellously, they always refer to it as isn't our boat doing well or winning when it has not even been designed by their national designer or paid for by their national currency except in ORACLES case.

OC

 

Some interesting perspectives..... no records in the Southern Hemisphere????? Team AUS not a Giant multi...
So some one is making inaugural records for others to step up to & you seem to be bagging them out...... come on

I think they'll do pretty fine in the coastal classic.... it's about competing after all, trans- Tasman yachting competition goes back to 1888 or so at least...

At one point your making that Team Aus should be competing somewhere else if they're "such good" & then offering a parochial coastal classic which I'm sure is a great race & will be hotly contested by many.

This boat has been around the block, might not be cutting edge by some perspective of very expensive world measure but these blokes are having a red hot go & plenty of fun along the way... maybe they seek to inspire such as you to greater effort.
Jeff.