Weekly Sailing Summary

KEEL BOATS

Three boats were involved in a collision during the Division One race of the Club Marine Series on Port Phillip. No crew members were injured but Laurie Ford’s Spirit of Downunder was dismasted. The other vessels involved were the Elliott 52 CR Stampede (formerly Moshio) and the RP36 Smooth Criminal. Stampede has significant bow damage. Check out ORCV.org.au for more details.

The new Reichel/Pugh 52 Scarlet Runner, owned and skippered by Robert Date from Sandringham Yacht Club, Melbourne, won line honours in the 156 nautical mile 60th Lexus Adelaide-Port Lincoln race as well as the IRC handicap division. Scarlet Runner beat the Adelaide Reichel/Pugh 52 Secret Men’s Business 3.5 by 50 minutes on corrected time, after Secret Men’s became becalmed nearing the finish in Boston Bay. PLYC.com.au.

After two days of racing on Sydney Harbour Lisa and Martin Hill on Estate Master won their second Farr 40 regatta in a row, taking out the 2010 Farr 40 Sprint Series hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. CYCA.com.au.

Over 110 yachts and multihulls are competing at Geographe Bay Race Week in Busselton WA in eight divisions. GBYC.com.au.

Australia’s newest International Dragon class yacht Xanthos hit the water on the River Derwent, christened by 90-year-old former Dragon sailor Edis Boyes at The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. The new fibreglass boat, owned by RYCT member Mike Wilkinson, was built at Margate by Zane Ridgeway. See the RYCT.org.au website for more information.

AROUND THE WORLD

If the victorious team from Spirit of Australia were nursing sore heads after winning the sixth race in the Clipper Round the World race, Qingdao’s Olympic Sailing Centre was probably not the best place to be. When Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Qingdao, Uniquely Singapore, Cape Breton Island, California and Hull & Humber all arrived one after the other, the marina resounded to the sound of beating drums, exploding fireworks, crashing cymbals, impassioned speeches and loud cheers as each team received their own spectacular welcome to the stage. ClipperRoundTheWorld.com.

Jessica Watson has been at sea for over four months in her attempt to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe. Over the last few days Ella's Pink Lady has been surfing down the waves, keeping up a great pace in 25 knots of wind. She is only 250 nautical miles from passing under the Cape of Good Hope. See the JessicaWatson.com.au website for more details on the teenager's journey.

18 FOOTERS

Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Tom Clout are the 2010 Giltinan champions. The Gotta Love It 7 team dominated the last race of the championship in a second-sail north east wind on Sydney Harbour to take out the race by 44 seconds, and the championship by four points. Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Aaron Links, Trent Barnabas) were second on 20 points and Project Racing (Andy Budgen, James Barker, Matt Mc Govern) from Great Britain were third with 21 points. 18footers.com.au.

AMERICA’S CUP

The America’s Cup arrived in San Francisco following BMW ORACLE Racing’s win over Alinghi. Russell Coutts confirms that Club Nautico di Roma, and its sailing team Mascalzone Latino, is the Challenger of Record for the 34th America’s Cup, and reaffirmed that details of the next edition would come following a period of consultation with the America’s Cup community. Independent management of all competitive aspects of the regatta has been confirmed. BMWOracleRacing.com.

CRUISING

An information night on the 2011 Van Diemen’s Land Circumnavigation will be held at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney on 2 March at 6.30pm. Jeremy Firth and Penny St Leger from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania will talk about the 800 nautical mile cruise in company, including places visited and the boat preparation required to make the trip in comfort and safety. The CYCA’s Cruise to Hobart 2011 is timed to allow participants to attend the Wooden Boat Festival and to join the VDL-C. All welcome. Please book at CYCA reception on 8292-7800 or reception@cyca.com.au. For information on the VDL-C see cruising at RYCT.org.au.

SAFETY & RESCUE

Given the benefits and growing popularity of LED lighting on vessels, NSW Maritime cautions vessel owners/operators to make sure they fit only LED lights which comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, the Colregs. Simply placing a LED light bulb into an existing incandescent light fitting on a vessel does not necessarily mean that your navigation lights will be displayed over the correct arc of the horizon. Maritime.nsw.gov.au.

NEW BOATS & PRODUCTS

The 22nd Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show on May 20 to 23 has attracted more than 35 world and Australasian marine product launches. Exciting new boats displayed for the first time include the world release of Mustang’s 550 Sports Euro; the world release of the Cordova 48 semi-displacement motor yacht by Clipper Motor Yachts; the Asia Pacific launch of Fountaine Pajot’s Summerland 40 Trawler power catamaran and the Lipari 41 sailing catamaran; and the Australian launch of the Fleming 65. SanctuaryCoveBoatShow.com.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Feb 25 – Talk: History of the Royal Navy by Colin Burring, formerly with the Cutty Sark Trust, at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney from 6.15pm - 8.00pm. The Royal Navy was created in the 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII. It had its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships. ANMM.gov.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.

Mar 2 – Information night on the 2011 Van Diemen’s Land Circumnavigation at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney at 6.30pm. Jeremy Firth and Penny St Leger from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania will talk about the 800 nautical mile cruise in company, including places visited and the boat preparation required to make the trip in comfort and safety. The CYCA’s Cruise to Hobart 2011 is timed to allow participants to attend the Wooden Boat Festival and to join the VDL-C. All welcome. Please book at CYCA reception on 8292-7800 or reception@cyca.com.au.

Mar 6 - 7 -- The fourth Whyte, Just and Moore Lawyers Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong will be held at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. RGYC.com.au.

Mar 6 – 7 -- Rosehill Trailerboat Show, Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney. BIA.org.au.

Mar 6 – 7 -- Audi Sydney Regatta, Middle Harbour Yacht Club MHYC.com.au.

Mar 9 - Long Distance Offshore Sailing Seminar - Getting into Cat1 presented by David James at Royal Brighton Yacht Club at 7pm. ORCV.org.au.

Mar 9 – 21 -- Louis Vuitton Trophy series - Ten countries are expected to compete in event-supplied 85-foot long AC Class yachts from the last two America’s Cups. These yachts require a crew of 17 top sailors. LouisVuittonTrophy.com.

Mar 11 - 8th Phil Renouf Memorial Lecture at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney at 6.15pm -8.30pm. Young men mucking about in old boats will be presented by Warwick Turner, one of the founders of the Sydney Heritage Fleet (SHF) who was instrumental in saving and restoring the Lady Hopetoun back in the 1960s. Turner has had a life-long passion and interest in steam vessels and their restoration, in particular the inland paddle-steamers of previous centuries. ANMM.gov.au.

Mar 11 - 14 -- Auckland International Boat Show is being held in conjunction with The Louis Vuitton Trophy series to push up attendance at both events.

April 2 - 61st Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race starts. Queensland’s most famous blue water yachting event sets sail in the waters off Brisbane every year on Good Friday. BrisbaneToGladstone.com.au.

April 2 – Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race starts at Beauty Point on the Tamar River just north of Launceston and finishes in Hobart on the River Derwent. ThreePeaks.org.au.

April 4 – 11th Solo Tasman Challenge from New Plymouth, New Zealand to Mooloolaba, Australia. Solo-Tasman.co.nz.

April 6 - Information night at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney on diesel engine maintenance with Dave Giddings of Drive Marine Services. All welcome. Please book at CYCA reception on 8292-7800 or reception@cyca.com.au.

April 12 - Long Distance Offshore Sailing Seminar - Sail Repairs at UK Halsey Loft, Beach Road Sandringham. ORCV.org.au.

April 12 – 18 -- Sail Port Stephens - Entries are open for all divisions, including the NSW IRC Championship, Commodores Cup (PHS), SB3 National Championship, Sports Boats and the Port Stephens Trophy which has a racing and cruising division. The feeder races for the event will be RPAYC’s Pittwater to Newcastle on 10 April and NCYC’s Newcastle to Port Stephens race on 11 April. SailPortStephens.com.au.

April 27 - Long Distance Offshore Sailing Seminar - Medical and Dentistry with Rosie Colahan at Royal Brighton Yacht Club at 7pm. ORCV.org.au.

Photograph: Collision during the Division One race of the Club Marine Series Port Phillip courtesy of Steb Fisher and