Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

LINE HONOURS WINNER IN STRATHFIELD PITTWATER TO COFFS

by Georgie Browne on 4 Jan 2001
Xena has taken out line honours in the 20th annual Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race. The big
Open 60 led the 226nm race from Pittwater in the 25-30kn north easterly winds which have
seen 25 of the 104 fleet retire.

Xena crossed the line at Coffs Harbour at 21hrs.26min.24sec to receive the traditional greeting
of beer and bananas from the Deputy Mayor Jan Straum and the Coffs Harbour Town Crier. A
large crowd was on the wharf to greet her.

Skipper Sean Langman said, 'This was one of the only races I ever done, when I did not have
to put up a spinnaker. In fact, we nearly did the race without a sail change at all. The winds
dropped as we were coming towards Coffs, and it was only we had to make a change.'

Xena also suffered minor steering problems when a shackle and cable parted, but this was soon
fixed by Genevieve White, one of the four girls on board.

Langman was happy with the boats performance after an unscheduled retirement from the
Sydney to Hobart Race. A torn mainsail resulted in minor rig damage which was repaired prior
to his entry in the Coffs Race.

'The boat is reputed to be a downwind flyer, but it also goes like a cut snake upwind,' he said.

Winds of up to 30 knots and 3 metre waves have seen over 20 boats retire from the race since
the start.

Fatigue, sea sickness and an uncomfortable sea have taken their toll on many competitors.

Langman said, 'The boat thumped and crashed through the night, but after the Hobart we
strengthened the bow, so we weren't concerned.'

A battle for second place is taking place between Heaven Can Wait (Warren Johns),
Marchioness (Michael Cranitch) and last year's line honours winner Infinity III (Martin James).
The three boats are expected into Coffs Harbour at approximately 1.00am on Thursday,
December 4

They are expected to be followed by Aspect Computing, Wild Thing and Future Shock with
the bulk of the fleet expected into Coffs Harbour between 6.00am and 9.00am

Related Articles

Noble Marine Musto Skiff UK Nationals overall
Eddie Bridle bags the UK Musto Skiff champion title at Hayling Island A lovely start to the day with the sun shining, blue skies, and the promise of three more championship races to decide the UK National Champion.
Posted today at 12:22 am
And so, it begins…
Grand Final not run yet, but our Hobart coverage begins with something very cool Maybe a tad earlier than last year, which I think was after the Grand Final, but the 100th entrant seemed like a good place to set things off. Now with that said, Sail-World's Hobart coverage begins.
Posted on 21 Sep
Emirates GBR Fourth in Geneva at Rolex SailGP
An on-water rudder swap was a first in the series' history The second day of racing at the inaugural Rolex Sail Grand Prix in Geneva proved a frustrating one for Emirates GBR. The team finished tenth and seventh in the day's two races.
Posted on 21 Sep
ILCA Announcement
Protecting the one-design integrity of the class ILCA's mission is to protect the integrity of strict one-design sailing—the principle that ensures every sailor competes on equal terms. This principle, enshrined in the ILCA Fundamental Rule, has been the foundation of our class's success.
Posted on 21 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe 2025: The summer of racing
Biotherm delivered a masterclass - Paprec Arkéa a lesson in consistency This Saturday, after a fiercely contested final race, the second edition of The Ocean Race Europe came to a close. It was a seven-week adventure from Germany to Montenegro, full of twists and turns, resilience, and raw emotion.
Posted on 21 Sep
Salcombe Gin Centenary Race - A fitting finale
RORC Cowes clubhouse was buzzing The Salcombe Gin Centenary Race brought the curtain down on the RORC's Centenary season — for everyone except the sailors still to compete in next week's Offshore Double Handed World Championships.
Posted on 21 Sep
Tornado Open, Mixed and Youth Europeans overall
Czech team dominated the event No more races were possible on the final day of the championship due to lack of wind, leaving the overall tally at five races sailed.
Posted on 21 Sep
Germany Deutsche Bank claim first SailGP event win
Race Day 2 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has entered the winners circle, claiming their first event victory at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in tricky, light conditions on the waters of Lake Geneva.
Posted on 21 Sep
Tom Dolan retires from Solitaire du Figaro
Flying Irishman injured his arm just one hour into the opening stage Reigning Solitaire du Figaro Paprec champion Tom Dolan confirmed this morning that he will withdraw from the third and final leg of the solo offshore race due to an injury sustained early in Leg One.
Posted on 21 Sep
2025 Dutch Water Week day 4
At the end of the city's main shopping street, spectators could watch the racing The penultimate day of the Dutch Water Week brought Olympic-class sailing and windsurfing right into the heart of Almere.
Posted on 21 Sep