Weekly Sailing News Summary

Summary for w/b - 28 Feb, 2006 12pm

SAIL & POWER EXPO
The Sydney Harbour Week festival begins with Sail & Power Expo which will run from Friday March 3 to Sunday March 5 from 10:00am - 4:00pm at Sydney's Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour. A must for all boating enthusiasts, this display features a wide range of boating lifestyles, including the latest in luxury power, racing and cruising yachts, dinghies, marine gear, sailing charters and holidays and much more. FREE entry.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE
The crews push further into the Southern Ocean on their charge to Cape Horn, approximately 1400nm to the east, the first and the only scoring gate of leg four. ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson) took the lead from the Black Pearl (Paul
Cayard) with movistar (Bouwe Bekking) third.

Brazil 1 (Torben Grael) is fourth followed by Ericsson (Neal McDonald). Steve Hayles gives a vivid account of a scary chinese gybe on Ericsson.

At the back of the fleet ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) has rips in the main sail. Earlier they hit the mythical 40 knots of boat speed barrier, and navigator Simon Fisher describes what it was like.

Quote from Norwegian watch leader on Brazil 1, Knut Frostad: "Rule number one. Never ask anyone from a warm and sunny country to buy the sleeping bags, especially when he is considerably smaller than you."

Sightings of wildlife have been reported by every team with talk of giant squid, albatross and whales.

The WSSR Council ratifies a new World Record for the greatest distance sailed by a Monohull in 24 hours by ABN AMRO TWO, skippered by Sebastien Josse with 9 crew of 562.96nm at an average speed of 23.45 knots.

KEEL BOATS
Sir James Hardy retires from competitive ocean racing after competing in the Adelaide to Port Lincoln Bluewater Classic. Sir James competed at two Olympic Games (1964 and 1968), four America's Cup campaigns including three as skipper, one World Championship and 13 Sydney to Hobart races.

Grant Wharington's Skandia won line honours in the Lexus Adelaide to Port Lincoln Yacht Race with 17 female crew - "Wild Women on the Water" - including female co-skipper Genevieve White. With only six male crew on board in total, and with all crew dressed in hot pink "Skandia Wild Thing" gear, the deck jewellery was complete!

Women's Match Racing - The CYCA has been running a weekly women's match race training program since October, and over the weekend they competed against each other in the Marinassess Regatta. The best three teams are guaranteed a place in the Harken Women's International Match Racing Regatta from March 8 - 12.

2006 Inner Circle Rum Farr 40 Regatta - Richard Perini's Evolution wins after two days of close racing on the Palm Beach Circle off Sydney's picturesque Palm Beach.

The Workforce Marine Mumm 30 Australian Championship - Victorian Bruce Eddington and his crew on Kato win after three days of racing conducted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on the Palm Beach Circle.

Lincoln Week Regatta, conducted by the Port Lincoln Yacht Club, started February 27.

Mar 4 - 5 -- Inaugural Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta - With over 200 entries, the Beach Party on the first night at the Middle Harbour Yacht Club promises to be a big event.

Traditional timber sloop Ray White Koomooloo will celebrate her 38th year in blue water yacht racing by chasing the honour of becoming the first yacht to win a Sydney Hobart trophy and a Brisbane Gladstone trophy in the same season.

The Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week was named Australia's best significant event at the Australian Tourism Awards for the second year running.

- INTERNATIONAL -
Reichel Pugh announces its Grand Prix 42 design will be built in limited production by McConaghy International, a joint venture owned by McConaghy Boats, Australia and JinLi Composites, China. Based on a five boat order the price of a Grand Prix 42 will be US $382,000.00 excluding freight from Hong Kong for the yacht and freight from Argentina for the rig. The first boats will be available for delivery by the end of 2006.

Torvar Mirsky (Fremantle Sailing Club) and Evan Walker (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) battled it out in the finals of the 2006 RNZYS Youth International on Waitemata Harbour with Mirsky winning 3-1.

Open 60 Hugo Boss has been dismasted while sailing from Melbourne to Uruguay, en route to continue its corporate programme in the USA. Skipper Alex Thomson and his four crew are expected to reach Chile in 10-15 days.

The Southern NSW Sabot Sailing association conducted the 2006 Leichhardt Trophies Sabot Sprint and Milo Sabot Zone Championship last weekend, on one of the hottest and most humid weekends of the summer.

CRUISING
Vanuatu is helping cruising yachtsmen get the most from a visit to the nation's eighty-three scattered islands through a new website that encourages mingling with the local people and embracing their unique customs and cultures.

Bernie and Yvonne Katchor arrive in Sapzurro, the safest town in Columbia, as there are four varieties of lawmen for every citizen. They walked to the village of Capurgana, seeing rare birds and returned to their boat by an unstable canoe.

Mar 4 - CYCA Cruising raft up in Middle Harbour's Sugarloaf Bay, Sydney.

POSITIONS VACANT
Experienced hostess/crew for private Australian 68ft Swan in Greece from end March 2006 to end August, with possible option to extend. The yacht has cruised Greece for five years under same Australian skipper and will be based in Marmaris Turkey in between cruising with owners and several charters. Maximum five guests. Person will be responsible for provisioning boat, preparing and serving smorgasbord breakfast and lunches, providing several dinners per week, servicing cabins and assisting with deckwork. Ph: 61 2 4232 2084 Fax: 42322507

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria has a new Board President, with the return of Chris Warner who previously served four years in the role in the late 1990s.

WHAT'S ON
Mar 5 - Australian F1 Superboat Series, Toukley and Lake Budgewoi, NSW

Mar 5 - Clean Up Australia Day - Free phone 1800 282 329.

Mar 10 - 12 -- Hillarys Boat, Dive & Fishing Show, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Perth. Power & sail craft from sports cruisers to yachts. A weekend of FREE entertainment & water activities designed for the entire family!

Mar 11 - 12 -- Classic & Wooden Boat Festival, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney. Fun for everyone. more than 150 boats on display, a vibrant market place selling all things nautical, non-stop live entertainment and lots more.

Photo: Wild Women on the Water on board Skandia

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