Weekly Sailing Summary

OLYMPIC CLASSES
The Australian Sailing Team's Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page won the 470 World Championship in The Netherlands, leading the regatta from start to finish to win the Gold medal by 21 points. yachting.org.au

Sari Multala from Finland won the Laser Radial Worlds in Larg, Scotland, with Marit Bouwmeester (NED) second and Paige Railey USA third. Australians Laura Baldwin placed 26th and Crystal Weir 52nd. laserworlds2010.co.uk/laserworlds/

AROUND THE WORLD
A spectacular welcome greeted the crews of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race as they arrived back in Hull at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew on board the ten ocean racing yachts, the return to Hull Marina marks the end of the challenge of a lifetime. Spirit of Australia, skippered by Brendan Hall, finished third in the final stage and first overall. clipperroundtheworld.com

KEEL BOATS
Tevake II, skippered by Angus Fletcher, was the only boat in the Melbourne to Vanuatu Race to go over the top of New Caledonia and as such, disposed of their opposition, who at one stage had closed to within 19 nautical miles of their transom. Seven of the ten entries finished the race. orcv.org.au

Race Two of the ORCV Melbourne Winter Series was enough for many, and several excused themselves for the day's second race, despite the fact that it was excellent sailing conditions, although cold. orcv.org.au

The 125 starters in the final pointscore race of the Audi Winter Series were greeted with a sun drenched Sydney Harbour and warm winter temperatures, but not much wind. Vanguard was declared provisional winner of Division A. Owner Dick Cause and his crew have been the bridesmaid for the last four series in a row. cyca.com.au

Entries have closed for the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and 78 boats are expected to start on 31 July in the third event of the four-part national Audi IRC Australian Championship. Current leader Harvey Milne's Archambault 31 Aroona will compete in this race with Anthony Paterson at the helm. cyca.com.au

Airlie Beach local Allan Sneddon entered the 100th boat in the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week to be held on 12-19 August. The retired shipwright and his wife will sail Pacific Phoenix, a Beneteau 405, in the cruising with spinnaker division. airliebeachraceweek.com.au

Entries are open for the fourth annual Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week on 3-7 September. Magnetic Island is located off the coast of Townsville and is 90 nautical miles north of Hamilton Island. The event offers an exciting shoreside program with live music daily.

YOUTH WORLDS
The OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team multihull crew of Chase Lurati and Paul Darmanin won gold at the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey. Queenslanders Angus Galloway and Alex Gough started the final day in second position in the 420 boys fleet but had a tough last race, breaking their vang just a minute and a half before the race start. yachting.org.au

PARALYMPIC CLASSES
The Australian Sailing Team's Skud 18 crew of Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox won the bronze medal at the 2010 IFDS World Championship in The Netherlands, and in doing so has qualified Australia for the 2012 London Paralympic Games in the two person keel boat class. yachting.org.au

OFF THE BEACH
The European 18ft Skiff Association will stage regattas from 24 July to 1 August in Travemuende (Germany) and Sonderborg (Denmark) as part of the 2010 European 18 Footer Circuit. flying18s.com

CRUISING
Most of the fleet of 107 boats has arrived in Darwin for the start on 24 July of Sail Indonesia - Sail Banda 2010. As with any event there have been some last minute cancellations caused by mechanical problems and most of these yachts have decided to join the rally in 2011. sailindonesia.net

THE PLASTIKI
The Plastiki, a boat made from 12,000 plastic bottles, is in Moolooaba after sailing across the Pacific from San Francisco. Due to the unpredictable nature of Plastiki's sailing capabilities and the prevailing weather conditions, the crew chartered a 13 metre Australian Volunteer Coast Guard vessel when they entered Australian waters to avoid going further north of their pre-planned destination of Coffs Harbour. The Plastiki team will now make thier way south and are due to be moored at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney's Darling Harbour on 25 July. theplastiki.com

JESSICA WATSON'S BOOK
Jessica Watson, the Queensland teenager who sailed around the world, will be launching her book True Spirit with a talk on stage and book signing at the Sydney International Boat Show on Thursday 29 July at 1pm. She will also be at the show at 2pm from Friday to Monday. Jessica's book tour dates are listed at jessicawatson.com.au

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 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 3-7 -- Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week offers an exciting shoreside program with live music daily. magneticislandraceweek.com.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 courtesy of Victor Kovalenko: Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on the water in Holland