Grundig leads

In opening stages of the Gladstone race in Australia reports Ian Grant

Sean Langman and his Grundig crew overcame a slow passage out of Moreton Bay to lead the 55th Brisbane to Gladstone race on corrected handicap earlier tonight.

Grundig was named as the provisional race leader from the Sydney sloop Ichi Ban and the smaller Brisbane sloop J Walkin following the fleet position report.

The placing confirms the recent form of Grundig which won this race outright last Easter and has since won the line honours titles in the Sydney to Southport, Sydney to Mooloolaba races besides finishing a creditable second to Alfa Romeo in the Sydney to Hobart race.

Skipper Langman had an excellent pacemaker during the light wind racing to exit Moreton Bay where Grundig matched speed with the smaller and lighter Gold Coast Catamaran Flat Chat.

Both crews were focused on leading the combined fleet of high performance keel and multihull yachts to become engaged in their own private tactical duel in spite of sailing in different class events.

The competition for the first to finish honour is a feature of the race and this has been the reason why the heavier displacement Grundig has fought so well in the drag race between two radically different yachts.

On the positions reported Grundig led the IRC Handicap class from the Sydney sloop Ichi Ban and J Walkin while Ichi Ban led the IMS Division from the Michael Spies skippered P&O Nedlloyd and Ian Wright’s Saltash 11.