Weekly Sailing News Summary

Spithill wins inaugural Brazil Sailing Cup, mother and daughter have now won the Queen of the Harbour title, correspondence celestial navigation course and more

Summary for w/b - 21 Mar, 2006 12pm

VOLVO OCEAN RACE

Movistar Sailing Team skippered by Dutchman Bouwe Bekking arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, five days after the first boat. The team were having a highly competitive leg four until just before Cape Horn when they suffered a major leak surrounding the keel box. They suspended racing and motored into Ushuaia, Argentina, for repairs before finishing the leg in fickle and light winds.

The Ericsson Racing Team decided to make crew changes for the next leg from Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore. American sailor John Kostecki, who has sailed with the team as tactician during the in-port races, will take on the role of skipper and Neal McDonald will sail onboard as watch captain. When the boat was hoisted from the water a failure of the fixing between the propeller box and hull was exposed.

The Volvo Extreme 40 Catamarans will be unleashed this week when they participate in the second Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series during the Rio de Janeiro stopover. Whilst the shore teams are busy working on the Volvo Open 70s in preparation for the in-port race on Saturday, the Volvo Extreme 40s will provide entertainment out on the water.

KEEL BOATS

Double world 11 Metre One Design champion, Steve McConaghy, has taken out the National Championship sailed at the 2006 Palm Beach Regatta at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

2006 North Sydney Cup - A race-long duel between Ian Guanaria's Mumm 36 Georgia Express and Clark Davies' Elliott 11 Midnight Oil resulted in the two boats charging side-by-side up Sydney Harbour and under the Bridge.

Mount Gay Rum Top Jocks Regatta - Ray Roberts, Martin Hill, Michael Blackburn, Sean Langman, Michael Dunstan, Tom King.they are just some of the champion sailors you and your crew could be sailing against in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's fleet of Elliot 6s on Sunday, March 26.

Following multiple successes in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart, the largest Queensland contingent in many years is set to try its luck in the annual Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race which starts April 1 with a 45-strong fleet.

Club Marine Commodore's Cup, hosted by Southport Yacht Club, will be held on April 6 - 9 in the waters off Surfers Paradise. The regatta is open to all monohull yachts complying with Yachting Australia Category Four Special Regulations and there are divisions for IR2000 (IRC) Yachts, PHS Racing Yachts, Cruisers, and one-design Class Divisions for Beneteau 40.7 and 47.7s.

Bill Wild's 12.8 metre sloop Wedgetail is the favourite to win line honours in the 58th Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race over the Easter weekend as race record holder Grant Wharington (Skandia) and four times line honours champion Sean Langman (AAPT) have declined to enter.

The inaugural Brazil Sailing Cup, Stage 5 of the 2005-'06 World Match Racing Tour - James Spithill AUS, Luna Rossa Challenge, defeated Thierry Peponnet FRA, K-Challenge, in the final winning three straight races. With the win Spithill catapulted into seventh place on the World Tour standings. World Tour leader Peter Gilmour did not compete after encountering visa problems trying to leave Australia.

Russell Coutts' specialist RC 44 match racing yacht made its debut in the two day Dubai Match Race Challenge. Coutts defeated Danish helmsman Jes Gram-Hansenedged in the first of a new series of international sailing events planned for the Emirate.

MULTIHULLS

Asian Record Circuit 2006 - Ellen MacArthur and an international crew of four on the 75 foot trimaran B&Q will set off from Yokohama, Japan on March 25 to establish a series of crewed record times between key Asian ports [or gates] - Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia to Singapore - it is a first of its kind for a major sailing campaign to take to these waters with the aim of setting benchmark times that can be challenged in the future by other sailors.

See also Volvo Ocean Race - Volvo Extreme 40 Catamarans

OFF THE BEACH

Nearly thirty years after her mother won the Queen of the Harbour title in the 18 foot skiff class on Sydney Harbour, 23 year old Erin Cameron has taken the same title sailing aboard the Joe Turner steered Noakes Youth on Sydney Harbour.

2005/6 Garde 12 foot Sydney Harbour Series - Yabba Dabba sailed by Nick Press & Brad Yabsley won the event.

Forty-six sailing boats packed the Brisbane River for the Onga Pumps River Classic marathon sailing race from the South Brisbane Sailing Club to the Brisbane 18 Footers Sailing Club at Bulimba.

A squad of over 30 skiffs, representing New South Wales and Queensland are set to converge on Parramatta River to contest the 71st Twelve Foot Skiff Australian Championship over the Easter weekend from April 14 - 17.

CRUISING
Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey 42 Deck Saloon will make an Australian debut at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show on Queensland's Gold Coast on May 18 - 21. The deck saloon concept offers interior volume and light. Italian designer Garroni worked on this model following success with the Sun Odyssey 54 DS. Performance is fine tuned thanks to architect Marc Lombard.

Sailing from island to island, exploring rivers in dinghies and walking in jungles, the cruising Katchors meet more of the Kuna Indians of Panama, learning about their culture and how easily it can be destroyed. Relaunching the dinghy in a huge surf is a frightening experience.

AROUND THE WORLD

westernaustralia.com skipper David Pryce has resigned from the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race citing his doubts that the race organisers can meet the race re-start date of March 25 and the subsequent revised race programme.

The three-man team from Green Marine UK are confident that the rectification work they are supervising on the 10-boat Clipper Round the World Race fleet will allow the yachts to meet their scheduled re-start date of Saturday March 25.

Adrian Flanagan decides to take a supply drop off Honolulu in his quest to be the first to sail a solo non-stop longitudinal circumnavigation via the Russian Arctic.

TRAINING

OTEN's Celestial Navigation course is delivered by correspondence. The course teaches the art of plotting your position by observation of the moon, sun and stars. It's designed to be studied in small chunks over 12 months, but can be finished sooner. Cost of the course is $180.

NEWS BRIEFS

Queensland boat owners going on the water for the Easter holidays need to be aware of new rules for lifejackets. As from April 1, open boats under 4.8 metres, which are required to carry life jackets, must ensure that all children under twelve on board actually wear an appropriate life jacket when the boat is underway.

The WSSR is developing it's website to include more information about the progression of records. The first section to be uprated is the "24 Hour Distance Records".

MARINE INDUSTRY
Australian trade agency Austrade will offer free international marine market seminars on Friday, May 19 during the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. A 10am session will focus on Asian markets while the 2pm program looks at US and European markets. The seminars are staged at The Village Theatre, Sanctuary Cove. Entry is free but bookings are required. Ph: 617 3364 7702

Positions Vacant
- Operations Manager, CYCA Sydney
- Sailing instructors required in Brisbane
- Casual Coxswain or Master 5 in Sydney

WHAT'S ON

Mar 25 - Special evening of adventure and stories for families in Sydney aboard the National Maritime Museum's former Navy destroyer HMAS Vampire and submarine HMAS Onslow.

April 2 - Daylight Saving ends in NSW, Victoria, SA and Tasmania

May 18 - 21 -- Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show - The annual event on Queensland's Gold Coast has more than 380 exhibitors confirmed and will offer the largest on water leisure and light commercial display ever staged in Australia.

Photo: Erin Cameron aboard the Jo Turner skippered Noakes Youth by Shaun McNigh

More information on www.boatingoz.com.au or subscribe to receive weekly email news with links

Weekly Sailing News Summary

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