Weekly Sailing Summary

KEEL BOATS

Bob Oatley’s 30.48 metre long supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, which will this year face its strongest ever challenge for supremacy in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, has been declared race ready by skipper Mark Richards following an intense 24-hour sailing trial off Sydney. During the winter months the yacht was lengthened by half a metre and underwent many modifications and refinements, most aimed at reducing weight and increasing speed.

Bidding is now open in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) SOLAS Big Boat Challenge eBay Auction for the chance to sail on an ocean racing yacht for charity. Guest places on Wild Oats XI, LOYAL, Lahana, Wild Thing, and Ichi Ban are available for the race around Sydney Harbour on Tuesday 15 December. Auction closes 10 December. CYCA.com.au.

Dick Cawse and his crew continue their dominance of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Ocean Pointscore series with the Lyons/Cawse 60 Vanguard scoring another line honours victory. CYCA.com.au.

Denis Doyle and Lynne Smith’s X-412 Sextant secured the double IRC and PHS division win in race nine of the Grant Thornton Short Haul Pointscore Series in Sydney. CYCA.com.au.

Two boats have withdrawn from racing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The current fleet size is 110 yachts. More information and a list of yachts which have applied to enter are at Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Online entry is now available for the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s annual holiday season races. The inshore Cock of the Bay race on Boxing Day is the traditional feeder race for the Kidder Williams Melbourne to Launceston and the Heemskirk Consolidated pair of Melbourne to Hobart East and Melbourne to Hobart West. ORCV.org.au.

The Monsoon Cup, the final event of the World Match Racing Tour, with approximately US$454,000 prize money, was sailed in Kuala Terengganu in Malaysia. Despite running aground before the start of the first race of the final, Adam Minoprio and his ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing defeated Ben Ainslie’s Team Origin 3-0. Australian teams skippered by Peter Gilmour and Torvar Mirsky were third and seventh respectively. The 2009 World Match Racing Tour results are

1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 138 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 97 Points
3. Ben Ainslie, (GBR) Team Origin 95 Points
4. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR 93 Points

More information at Monsoon Cup.com.my.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) Commodore Matt Allen achieved a clean sweep of IRC1 division in the 23rd Phuket Kings Cup Regatta, scoring eight wins in his Beneteau First 44.7 Ichi Ban. CYCA.com.au.

18 FOOTERS

The Thurlow Fisher-City team of Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas became the 2009-2010 NSW 18 Footer champions when they completed the series with a perfect score of four points after discarding a sixth placing in the last heat on Sydney Harbour. More information at 18 Footers.com.au.

OFF THE BEACH & OLYMPIC CLASSES

The Australian Sailing Team’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have won the 2009 Australian 49er Championship, dominating the regatta from start to finish and continuing their unbeaten record together. Yachting.org.au

Sail Sydney, part of the Sail Down Under Series will end on Sydney Harbour on 8 December. Sail Sydney.org.au

FOILING

Dave Lister took first place in the 2009 Foiler 1 Dash For Cash on what was a spectacular day of high performance slalom foiler racing on Sydney Harbour. Twelve of the best sailors in the world battled it out through the heats and Nathan Outteridge, two time 49er world champion, John Harris, foiler world champion 2008, and Dave Lister, the fastest foiler sailor in the world competed in the final race. Dave had rolled the competition before the second turn mark of the final. Nathan and John, both pushing it to the very limits, had a massive collision with each other, knocking them both out of the race. Sailtec GP.com

A high tech Mach 2 yacht, best described as a foiling speed machine worth approx $20,000, will be auctioned on eBay to raise money for international children’s charity, Variety. The donated yacht is courtesy of McConaghy, a partner of Audi Victoria Week. The auction will be launched on Thursday 21 January. Visit Victoria Week.com

AROUND THE WORLD

Almost all of the ten yachts of the Clipper 09-10 fleet have been experiencing unusually light winds in the Southern Ocean on the 4,700-mile race four from Cape Town to Geraldton, Western Australia. The first boats are expected in Geraldton around 14-18 December. Clipper Round the World.com

Jessica Watson is sailing south and the air and water temperature is starting to get cooler. Ella's Pink Lady has cleared the islands of French Polynesia and is now sailing in open water towards Cape Horn, over 4,000 nautical miles away. More on Jessica’s blog at Jessica Watson.com.au

CREW RELEASED FROM IRAN

Sail Bahrain’s five British sailors arrived safely into Dubai, following their week-long ordeal in the custody of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The crew was held after inadvertently venturing into Iranian waters on their Volvo 60 racing yacht whilst on their way to the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Sailing race. Team Pindar.com

TRAINING

The Queensland state government has promised an extra $2.5 million to be used to establish an inshore craft training simulator and maritime safety facility at the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College. Construction of the $8 million College in the Cairns Port precinct will commence in February. Marine QLD.com.au

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Dec 14 – 19 -- Asia Pacific Regatta, part of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, is a grade one Olympic Class regatta. Sail Melbourne.com.au.

Dec 26 – Rolex Sydney Hobart Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

Dec 27 – Jan 24 – Kids on Deck – The National Maritime Museum’s summer school holiday program in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Children five to ten years enjoy the magic and mystery of dragons, unicorns and mermaids. Wet world is for children three to nine years to participate in fun activities exploring the properties of water. More details.

Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour – Family fireworks at 9pm with the main show on at midnight. More information.

Jan 21 - 26 –- Audi Victoria Week is the largest sailing regatta in Australia with over 450 yachts competing over the four days and plenty of shoreside activities take place for those not competing. Victoriaweek.com.

Jan 26 – Australia Day – Events on Sydney Harbour include a Ferrython, Awesome Forces displays, best dressed vessels competition, tall ships race, 174th Australia Day Regatta, Sydney Ports Jazz on the Water Concert. For details see Australiaday.com.au.

Feb 5 - 7 -- Melbourne International Boat & Lifestyle Show, Docklands. More details.

Feb 12 – 21 -- JJ Giltinan International Championship, Sydney Harbour, sometimes referred to as the 18 Footer Worlds 18 footers.com.

Feb 19 – 21 -- The Melbourne Wooden Boat Festival will be held at the Docklands precinct on Victoria Harbour. Woodenboat.com.au.

Feb 25 - 27 -- Variety Splash - Participants will travel a round trip from Docklands’ Melbourne Yacht Club Hotel, with nightly stopovers at Sandringham Yacht Club and Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Varietysplash.org.au.

Photograph: Robert Oatley’s Wild Oats XI emerging from the shed after being lengthened to 100 feet and undergoing other modifications. Courtesy of Andrea Francolini