Weekly Sailing Summary

AROUND AUSTRALIA

SOS Ocean Racing, skippered by Ian Thomson from Airlie Beach, finished the world's fastest solo circumnavigation of Australia in 42 days, taking over
26 days off the previous record. Thomson's record is not non stop and unassisted, but only two other boats in the world have been around Australia faster, the 110ft trimaran Geronimo which holds the outright record and Kaz, sailed by Sailors with Disabilites, which holds the monohull record. Both boats were crewed.

Thomson plans to go around again in May 2011 with a crew, to try to claim the monohull record from Kaz. The SOS Ocean Racing campaign is not just about sailing, it is about raising awareness of the damage plastic bags do to our environment. Check out SOSoceanracing.com for more information.

KEEL BOATS & MULTIHULLS

The 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is shaping up as a battle of the Beneteau First 40s. Last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart overall winner, Andrew Saies' Two True, will make the long trek to the start line from his home town of Adelaide to Sydney, where he will be met by two other recently launched Beneteau F40s Flying Cloud (CYCA Vice Commodore Howard Piggott) and Close Halled (Graeme Hall). CYCA.com.au.

A 12 knot westerly land breeze under cloudless skies made for a promising start to race nine of the Audi Winter Series. The fleet of 130 boats tried to put as many miles as possible behind them on the first lap around Sydney Harbour before the forecast fadeout, the transition between the cool morning westerly and the lighter east-southeasterly wind. CYCA.com.au.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania's successful Team Whistler endeavours to win both the Tasmanian and the British Three Peaks Races in the one year.

The rugged British event, from Barmouth in Wales to Fort William in Scotland, is over a similar distance of sailing and running to the Tasmanian event, but the total ascent of the three highest peaks in the British Isles is considerably greater. Sailing their own boat, Whistler, they became the first monohull yacht to take line honours in the Tasmanian Three Peaks Race last Easter. RYCT.org.au and ThreePeaksYachtRace.co.uk.

At this year's Giraglia Rolex Cup, Neville Crichton made it clear that his intentions were to win overall in the distance race. The 72-foot Shockwave
(NZL) finished the 241 nautical mile race in second place on the water, just over an hour after the 100ft Esimit Europa 2. Crichton's Reichel-Pugh designed Mini Maxi beat Udo Schutz' STP 65 Container (GER) by 42 minutes on handicap to claim the top prize. RegattaNews.com.

The two existing course record holders in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race triumphed again in Cowes, UK, but no records were broken. IDEC, driven by Francis Joyon, was the first multihull to finish and Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard was the first monohull. 1,779 boats entered the race round the Isle of Wight. RoundTheIsland.org.uk.

OLYMPIC CLASSES

Australian Sailing Team athletes are competing in Kieler Woche in Germany from 19 - 27 June, the penultimate round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup.
Germany's longest open-air festival offers lots of distractions for the sailors with folk, pop, rock and classical music, comedians, clowns, magicians, acrobats and pantomimes on the streets. The whole city centre becomes one giant party zone. Yachting.org.au and Kieler-woche.de.

AROUND THE WORLD

With spinnakers flying the Clipper fleet set sail from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, on 19 June in Race 12 of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, the 2,080-mile race across the Atlantic to Cork, Ireland. Spirit of Australia went straight for their lightweight spinnaker and immediately powered passed the first three teams. ClipperRoundTheWorld.com.

SAFETY

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released its final investigation report into the September 2009 collision between Jessica Watson's Ella's Pink Lady and the Hong Kong registered bulk carrier Silver Yang off Point Lookout, Queensland. Both boat crews failed to keep a proper lookout, nor were they appropriately using navigational aids to manage the risk of collision. Following the collision, the ship's watch keeper did not offer to assist the yacht's skipper. ATSB.gov.au.

IN BRIEF

Over the next 12 months the volunteers of Marine Rescue NSW will assist more than 2500 people in trouble on our waterways. You can comment on the proposal to put a $7.50 a year Marine Rescue levy on boating fees at Maritime.nsw.gov.au.

With the first sightings of migrating whales for 2010 off Queensland's east coast, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is reminding vessel operators to take care, watch out for whales, and know the approach distances. GBRMPA.gov.au.

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria will launch its new BIA Boat Club at the Melbourne Boat Show, which runs from 1 to 5 July. Everyone who buys a ticket to the Boat Show will receive one application for a free first year of membership to the Boat Club. Club member benefits include insurance, finance and specialist boating advice, in addition to having a new and powerful voice on boating issues. BIAvic.com.au.

Lake Illawarra NSW has a new gangway and pontoon giving elderly or disabled people improved access to the waterway. Maritime.nsw.gov.au.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

July 1 - 5 -- Melbourne Boat Show, Melbourne Exhibition Centre. MelbourneBoatShow.com.au.

July 6 - Aug 17 -- CYCA Medical Management for Mariners course - St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney aims to teach those who go to sea in small craft, especially yachts, how to deal with a medical emergency should it arise when professional medical assistance may be hours or even days away.
The course consists of seven three-hour nights at the hospital followed by a three hour practical session taught by Helicopter Rescue Paramedics on board a yacht at the CYCA.  During the course, participants are shown how to treat and stabilise a patient and prepare and package the injured person for rescue. All welcome. CYCA.com.au.

July 4 - Melbourne to Vanuatu (M2V). ORCV.org.au.

July 15 - 18 -- Adelaide Boat Show, Adelaide Convention Centre. Adelaideboatshow.com.au.

July 24 - Sail Indonesia Yacht Rally departs from Darwin. Sailindonesia.net.

July 29 - Aug 2 -- 2010 Sydney International Boat Show, Darling Harbour. Sydneyboatshow.com.au.

July 31 - Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. CYCA.com.au

Aug 6 - Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race. BrisbaneToKeppel.com.

Aug 7 - Hervey Bay Whale Festival. HerveyBayWhaleFestival.com.au.

Aug 12 - 19 -- Airlie Beach Race Week, Meridien Marinas Abel Point Marina. AirlieBeachRaceWeek.com.au.

Aug 20 - 28 -- Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - One of Australia's most popular sailing festivals. Race week blends world class yacht racing for Australian and overseas competitors with spectacular off-water events. HamiltonIslandRaceWeek.com.au.

Aug 20 - Sep 5 -- Festival Cairns. FestivalCairns.com.au.

Aug 21 - Traditionally run on the dry bed of the Todd River in the Northern Territory's Alice Springs, the Henley-on-Todd was cancelled in 1993 due to the uncharacteristic flooding of the river. But it will be business as usual at this year's event, when residents and visitors alike congregate for the quirky race. HenleyOnTodd.com.au.

Aug 22 - 24 -- Marine Safety Conference 2010, Burswood Entertainment Centre, Perth. NMSC.gov.au.

August 26 - 29 -- Brisbane International Boat Show, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. BrisbaneBoatShow.com.au.

Aug 27 - 29 -- The Great Tropical Jazz Party on Magnetic Island features internationally acclaimed jazz musicians. MagneticIslandJazz.org.

Aug 28 - Sep 3 -- Multihull Solutions Whitsunday Multihull Rendezvous APYC.yachting.org.au.

Photograph: The reason Ian Thomson sailed around Australia was to raise awareness of the damage plastic bags do to our environment. This photo was taken on a morning at work in the Whitsundays after a night of heavy rain. Ian picked up all this rubbish floating on the water and then that afternoon, the turtle was found with a plastic bag wrapped around its head.