The Boats

We will be racing with 2 boats over the coming year. First of all there is the record breaking Welbourn 12m which took 26 days off the solo circumnavigation record. We have just confirmed we will be using the almighty Brindabella for the Around Australia Record for 2011. She is an icon of Australian sailing and holds many race records which more modern boats don't seem to be able to break.

Brindabella - Jutson 79

When it coms to Australian sailing, there is no more famous boat that the almighty Brindabella. When I was seeking a boat for the monohull crewed record, I wanted something big and fast and Brindabella wa my first choice. Owner Jim Cooney will be joining me on the record attempt and has spent the last 6 months bringing her back to her former glory. She is now ready to break the record.

Originally built and owned by George Snow and later by the late Andrew Short, this boat has a history like no other, however Jim wants to make his own history on this boat and together we hope we can do this by smashing the current crewed record.

Brindabella holds more race records that any other yacht currently racing on the Australian east coast, including the Sydney Mooloolaba, Sydney Gold Coast, Sydney Wollongong,  Sydney Newcastle and the Bird Islet races. 

Brindabella also recorded the fastest time ever for a conventionally ballasted boat in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, when she sailed the 628 nautical mile course in 1 day 20 hours 46 minutes 33 seconds,  only an hour behind the record-breaking, water ballasted Nokia.

The Sydney to Gold Coast record this year was not beaten even by the 100ft Wild Oats which is much more modern and 21ft longer. She is an almighty yacht and her strength is an asset to our record attempt. She will be crewed by up to 18 for the Australia record.

Custom Welbourn 12m - (Vonu - Fijian for Turtle)

Built in 2007 for the Melbourne to Osaka yacht race, this custom built Hugh Welbourn design only weighs 4.7 tonnes. It is very sparse as it is a true racing boat. It has a gorgeous carbon rig and is made as a downwind flyer.

It has a full range of Doyle Sails, Furuno electronics, ICOM radios and is ready to race at the front of the fleet. The polars make it quicker than a Farr 40 and with 900 liters of water ballast, sailing in heavy winds is not an issue as you can keep the rail down.

In the Brisbane to Gladstone she averaged over 9 knots and on the delivery from Gladstone to Airlie she averaged over 7.5 knots. Both were run solo and when she raced around Australia to break the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation she average 6.44 knots.