Weekly Sailing Summary

WHITSUNDAY RACING

Michael Hiatt's Farr 55 Living Doll won the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week IRC Racing Division 1, making it back to back wins. Darryl Hodgkinson's Beneteau 45 Victoire was second with Howard Lambourne's Farr 40 Lambourdini, third. ‘This regatta is not just about partying,’ writes Ian Thomson. ‘This year we had courses up to 36 nautical miles long with most races taking at least four hours of sailing. This means you get to sail all over the Whitsundays, and there is still plenty of time to drink and tell stories in the beer tent when you get back ashore.’ Check out AirlieBeachRaceWeek.com.au for more details.

Loki, named after the Norse god of mischief, is owned by Stephen Ainsworth. Gordon Maguire is helming the RP63 at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and had three IRC wins from three starts after two days of racing. Loki won its division of the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta back in March, and followed that up with a win overall in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race earlier this month. www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au

OFF THE BEACH

Australian Nathan Outteridge wins the SYZ & Co Moth Europeans in the Open category, in front of American Bora Gulari and Australian Scott Babbage. www.syzmotheuro2010.ch

Rod and Kerry Waterhouse from Australia dominated the Masters at the Hobie 16 Worlds in Weihai, China, to win Gold from William and Lucinda Edward of South Africa and Bob Engwirda and Brad Wilson of Australia. The Open qualifying series starts 23 August. www.hobieworlds.com

Australian sailors Madison Kennedy (Qld) and Mark Spearman (WA) are competing on Byte CIIs at the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. www.yachting.org.au

Several Australian crews are competing in the 18ft Skiff International Regatta in San Francisco. Australia was their birthplace but San Francisco is a pilgrimage for the 18ft skiffs that test some of the world's most talented and bravest sailors. www.stfyc.com

AROUND THE WORLD

Fourteen-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker left Gibraltar on 21 August to sail around the world solo. She plans to sail from east to west through the Panama Canal and is leaving her options open on going through the Suez Canal or around South Africa. Laura will be stopping during her circumnavigation, sometimes for a couple of months to wait for better weather and to do schoolwork. www.lauradekker.nl

IN BRIEF

If you think you can reverse a boat you can prove it at the Isuzu D-Max Reversing Challenge at the Brisbane Boat Show. If you make it to the end of the course without hitting any of the bollards your name will go into the prize draw to win $500 cash. www.brisbaneboatshow.com.au

MARINE INDUSTRY

The Boating Industry Association of NSW (BIA) held a Careers Day and launched a new Cadetship Program at this year’s Sydney International Boat Show. The two year program will combine real-life, hands-on work experience with formal study and qualifications relevant to the industry, which will set participants in good stead for a long, successful career within the boating industry. A pilot for the cadetship program is planned to take place in Sydney in 2011, with a focus on students due to complete year 12 in 2010. Details on how to apply will be released over the next few months at www.bia.org.au

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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

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 4 – QBE Riverfire, opens the Brisbane Festival with aerial displays by the Australian Defence Forces, fireworks and music. www.brisbanefestival.com.au

Sep 4 - 5 – Darwin Boat Show, Darwin Convention Centre. www.darwinboatshow.com.au

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

Sep 11 - Great Whitsunday Fun Race www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au

Sep 12 - Try Crewing Day, various locations, NSW www.bia.org.au

Oct 2 – 3 – Heaven Can Wait (HCW) 24 Hour Yacht Race and the associated One Lap Dash will be held on Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, NSW. The event raises money for the NSW Cancer Council and Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie. www.heavencanwait.com.au

Oct 8 – 10 – Club Marine Mandurah Boat Show, Mandurah Offshore Fishing & Sailing Club WA www.mandurahboatshow.com

Oct 16 – 17 -- 2010 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival, National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney - 100 boats from graceful yachts to streamlined speedboats, a festive marketplace selling all things nautical and an outstanding display of boating products. Discover the skills of traditional maritime craftsmen including blacksmiths, rope knotters, caulkers and sail makers. www.anmm.gov.au

Photograph: Living Doll off Denman Island finishing the final race of Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2010 courtesy of Teri Dodds ©