Weekly Sailing Summary

SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA

Spirit of Australia wins the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race after finishing fourth in Race 13, a 550-mile sprint from Cork, Ireland to Ijmuiden, Netherlands. Simply finishing this penultimate stage of the 14-race series gave them the single point they needed to secure the title. Check out ClipperRoundTheWorld.com for more details.

KEEL BOATS

The lead boat in the Melbourne to Vanuatu Race, Tevake II, is enroute to leave New Caledonia to starboard, meaning it is going around the northern end of the island. Once clear of New Caledonia it is about 260 nautical miles to the finish in Vanuatu. ORCV.org.au.

A mild northerly breeze provided a warm change for the Audi Winter Series fleet of 131 boats, but like the customary winter southerlies it was somewhat lacking in the oomph department. The course was shortened for all divisions and the divisional results were in many cases turned upside down. CYCA.com.au.

Secret Mens Business #1, a Murray 42 owned by Rob Curtis, Ian Trembath, and Doug Snedden, was the 60th entry received for the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, starting 31 July. SMB #1 has competed up and down the east and south coast of Australia with its best result being a fourth in IMS division A in the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart under original owner Geoff Boettcher. The fleet racing to the Gold Coast is anticipated to reach 80 plus boats when entries close on 16 July. CYCA.com.au.

The NOR and Regatta Guide are now online for the 2010 Lipton Cup Regatta, held on 20-21 November on Port Phillip. LiptonCupRegatta.yachting.org.au.

Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN defeated Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-1 in the semi final of the Stena Match Cup Sweden, Stage 5 of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour. Ainslie then defeated Jesper Radich (DEN) in the final. Mirsky finished fourth and fellow Australians, Peter Gilmour was tenth and Keith Swinton 15th.

Running in conjunction with the World Match Racing Tour event was the Women’s Stena Match Cup Sweden. Ten female crews raced in Elliott 6-metres, the boats that will be used in the 2012 Games. European Women’s Champion, Ekaterina Skudina (RUS), defeated third ISAF ranked Katie Pellew née Spithill (AUS) in the other semi final. The Russian beauty defeated Renee Groenenveld (NED) in the final to be Queen of 2010 Women’s Stena Match Cup Sweden. More details at WMRT.com.

OFF THE BEACH

Australians Laura Baldwin and Crystal Weir made it into the women’s gold fleet at the Laser Radial Worlds in Larg, Scotland. Racing finishes 14 July. LaserWorlds2010.co.uk.

Racing has started for the twelve members of the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team at the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey. Yachting.org.au.

AUSTRALIAN TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

Western Australia’s Christchurch Grammar won the 2010 Australian Schools Team Racing Championship, which finished in Adelaide on Sunday. Yachting.org.au.

AMERICA’S CUP

San Francisco is the only city in the USA under consideration to host the 34th America’s Cup match in 2013 or 2014. The city is home to the Golden Gate Yacht Club, whose team BMW ORACLE Racing won the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, on 14 February. AmericasCup.com.

SAFETY

New lifejacket rules to improve boating safety and reduce deaths from drowning will be introduced in NSW from 1 November 2010. Twenty three lives were lost in boating incidents over the past 12 months, and too often lifejackets were on board but not being worn. Lifejackets will now be required during high risk boating activities. Maritime.nsw.gov.au.

Personal flotation devices made to the new Australian Standard AS 4758 are now for sale. It is important for retailers and the general boating public to understand how to identify the markings on the new PFDs. The new standard identifies PFDs for different uses according to “Levels” rather than “Types” and the new Level 150 PFD has increased performance characteristics compared to most PFD Type 1’s. NMSC.gov.au.

IN BRIEF

Yachting NSW has issued a statement to the state’s affiliated member clubs with a message from the president, Geoff Davidson, that signals a total restructuring of the organisation – to be amalgamated into Yachting Australia offices – but also heralds a new national system to be revealed in the next 12 months. Yachting.org.au.

Victorian Danielle Pascoe has recently become Australia’s second female National Judge, and the 21-year-old is currently plying her trade in Scotland at the Laser Radial World Championship. Yachting.org.au.

Sabre Yachts celebrated their 40th anniversary with a rendezvous on 9-11 July in Boothbay Harbour, Maine (USA). Emarine Australia’s Jed Elderkin, who represents the Sabre brand throughout Australasia, made the journey from Sydney to attend the celebration. Sabre Yachts currently builds three sailboats ranging 38 to 45-feet in length and six powerboats from 36 to 52-feet in length.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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.

August 11 - 15 -- Perth Boat & Leisure Expo, Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. PerthBoatShow.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.

Sep 5 – Oct 11 -- The Louisiades Rally for yachts and powerboats over 30 feet will depart and return to Cairns. LouisiadesRally.com.

Sep 11 - Great Whitsunday Fun Race. WhitsundaySailingClub.com.au.

Photograph: Spirit of Australia courtesy of Clipper Ventures