Weekly Sailing Summary

OLYMPIC CLASSES

Australia’s 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen and Laser sailor Tom Slingsby only had to start their Medal Races to take victory at the Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England. More details at BoatingOz.

KEEL BOATS

Craig Piccinelli has firmed his intention of winning the Johns Sails Trophy with Wobbly Boot after a surprisingly wayward start in race one of the series being held on Pioneer Bay in the Whitsundays. More information.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania announces ‘The Showdown’ – a new regatta that promises to be Tasmania’s biggest and best annual sailing annual event for all classes, from the smallest dinghy to the largest yacht. More details.

The SB3 National Championship will be conducted at Sail Port Stephens in April on the New South Wales mid North Coast in 2010 and 2011. More info.

-- INTERNATIONAL

New Zealand's Adam Minoprio and French skipper Claire Leroy both hold on to the top spot in the latest release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 16 September. More information.

Torvar Mirsky and his Mirsky Racing Team from Perth have climbed up to number two on the ISAF World Match Racing ranking list. More details.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is inviting bids to host the Grand Final and Regional Finals of the 2011 ISAF Nations Cup, the global competition to find the world's top match racing nation. More information.

The 2009 12 Metre World Championship is expected to be the largest gathering of these vintage yachts in the 26 years since Newport last hosted the America's Cup in 1983. More details.

Telefonica Black, one of the stars of the Volvo Ocean Race, will take part in the Barcolana, to be held in Trieste, Italy, from October 11. More information.

Team Pindar bids farewell to its IMOCA Open 60 and in return took charge of a second Volvo 60, for a new venture in the Middle East. More details.

AROUND THE WORLD

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race: Finnish skipper Eero Lehtinen and his team led for much of the last two days of a fast first leg from The Humber in the UK to La Rochelle in France. Cork was second and Hull & Humber third, just beating Spirit of Australia. The Race Committee protested Cork and Hull & Humber for contravening the sailing instructions. Leg 2 to Rio de Janeiro gets underway on Tuesday September 22. More details.

AMERICA’S CUP

ISAF requests permission to file an Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) brief regarding the 33rd America's Cup. More information.

OFF THE BEACH

Australian Allison Shreeve finished on equal points in first place at the Formula Windsurfing World Championship in Spain, but had to settle for runner up. Fellow Australian, Steve Allen, stole the Men’s crown on the final day of racing. More info.

South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club is hosting the 2009 Zhik Single Hander Regatta over the long weekend on 3-5 October, 2009. The regatta is sailed on the waters of Southern Lake Macquarie (Sunshine, NSW) and is open to all single-hander monohull dingy classes. More details.

Invitations were sent to the Optimist Dinghy Associations of 16 countries on five continents to lure their best sailors to Bermuda for the Renaissance Reinsurance Junior Gold Cup. More information.

NEWS BRIEF

Copper Cove Marina announces plans to develop a new multi million dollar commercial marina precinct as the sixth stage of the residential and resort development, in a move which will provide major economic, environmental and social benefits for the Yorke Peninsula region in South Australia. More details.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Oct 9 – 11 – Club Marine Mandurah Boat Show, Mandurah Offshore Fishing & Sailing Club WA Mandurah Boat Show.

Oct 17 – 18 – Darwin Boat Show, Darwin Convention Centre. Darwin Boat Show.

Oct 24  25 -- The Copper Cove Marina Festival in South Australia will combine the best products and produce from local boating, seafood and wine suppliers. More details.

Nov 1 – Try Sailing Day NSW - Sailing and yacht clubs around NSW devote their club, boats and instructors to give people of all ages, with little or no experience a chance to experience the joys of sailing for free. BIA Website.

Nov 14 – 15 - Club Marine Sail Boat Show, Sandringham Yacht Club. More details.

Nov 21 – 23 -- Club Marine Boating Extravaganza, Goolwa, SA - 150 on-water sites, more than 200 hard stand sites and a number of hands-on exhibitions and demonstrations. More information.

Photograph courtesy of onEdition: Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen coming home to take Gold