Weekly Sailing Summary

TRAGEDY IN TASMANIA

Commodores of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Derwent Sailing Squadron expressed their great sadness at the loss of RYCT member Ross Cubit in the Friday night opening race of the 42nd annual Pipe Opener Series. Ross Cubit, 51, was lost overboard from Storm Bay, a 14m Chamberlain-designed catamaran from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, owned by Stephen Laird.

The 28 nautical mile Category 5 race started from Castray Esplanade, Hobart, on Friday evening. After a review of the forecast weather conditions, the Derwent Sailing Squadron shortened the course to finish at Simpsons Bay, ensuring that the race was sailed entirely in enclosed waters.

The DSS understands that Mr Cubit, an experienced sailor, fell overboard shortly after 10pm in the vicinity of Dennes Point, North Bruny. His body was later found on the shore south of Dennes Point. www.ryct.org.au

AROUND AUSTRALIA

Ian Thomson is seeking applications from the sailing community to sail on board Brindabella in an attempt to break the record for a crewed yacht to sail around Australia. Six of twelve positions have been allocated to professional sailors. Ian will use the Brisbane - Gladstone race as a trial run as he did for his solo circumnavigation last year. The vessel will then sail back to Sydney for a departure in May to try and break the record, but also go under 30 days. www.sosoceanracing.com/australia.htm

AWARDS

Yachting Australia announces the finalists for the 2010 Australian Yachting Awards to be held on Friday 15 October at the Deckhouse in Woolwich. The finalists for the Male Sailor of the Year award are 470 World Champions and ISAF Sailing World Cup Champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, A-Class and Tornado World Champion Glenn Ashby, winning America’s Cup skipper James Spithill, three-time Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, and 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.

In the Female Sailor of the Year category the finalists are solo, round-the-world, sailor Jessica Watson, 2009 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Champion skipper Nicky Souter and crew Rayshele Martin, Nina Curtis, Lucinda Whitty, Kat Stroinovsky and Amanda Scrivenor, solo sailor Jennifer Fitzgibbon and Laser Radial sailor Alexandra South. www.yachting.org.au

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia announces that nominations are now open for its prestigious Ocean Racer of the Year Awards. www.cyca.com.au

The 2011/12 Marina of the Year Awards are now open for entry. After the success of the Marina of the Year awards in 2009/10 an additional category has been added to specifically recognise excellence in club marinas. The two other awards categories are marinas under 140 boats and marinas 140 boats and over. The awards are administered by the Marina Industries Association of Australia (MIAA). www.marinas.net.au

KEEL BOATS

Team Ecky (eXtasea), skippered by Paul Buchholz (Bucky), won the IRC division of the ORCV's 2010 Melbourne Winter Series after going into the final race to Geelong 4.5 points behind Wicked. www.orcv.org.au

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Sailing Season 2010-2011 has commenced with the traditional season opening race, the 15th Monica Geddes Memorial Trophy – Sydney Harbour Islands Race. The race also marked the start of the Grant Thornton Short Haul Pointscore Series, with a fleet of 38 yachts taking to the start line in light air. www.cyca.com.au

OFF THE BEACH & OLYMPIC CLASSES

Brisbane anaesthetist Lyndall Patterson, a mother of two grown up daughters who won the IYRU Women's World title on the same waters of Hayling Bay 33 years ago, finally overhauled the strong American male contingent on the last day of the Laser Radial Grand Master Championship. Patterson's success is believed to be the first time a female sailor has won the overall title. www.laserworlds2010.co.uk/masters

NEWS BRIEFS

The Marine Rescue NSW (MRNSW) and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA) have signed an ‘in principle’ agreement supporting a unification process. This agreement, with the approval of the AVCGA National membership, will permit willing NSW AVCGA Flotillas, including all their assets, cash at bank, licences and leases to be formally signed over with them when each Unit transfers to MRNSW.
www.marinerescuensw.com.au

Ex-HMAS Adelaide is to be scuttled off Avoca Beach near Terrigal in NSW to create an artificial reef following an assessment by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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 9 – 24 -- Sydney Harbour Island Hopping gives people access to the harbour islands of Sydney Harbour National Park via one looped tour, with tailored entertainment and experiences on each. Cruises will run each Saturday and Sunday. www.harbourislandhopping.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

Oct 30 - Hempel Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race www.gosfordsailingclub.com.au

Nov 7 – Try Sailing Day NSW - Sailing and yacht clubs around NSW devote their club, boats and instructors to give people of all ages, with little or no experience a chance to experience the joys of sailing for free. www.bia.org.au

Nov 20 – 21 -- 2010 Lipton Cup Regatta, held on Port Phillip. www.liptoncupregatta.yachting.org.au

Photograph: East Coast of Tasmania taken by Ian Thomson on his solo circumnavigation of Australia