Weekly Sailing Summary

Slingsby named ISAF Rolex World Sailor, Bull's new boat wins Morna Cup, race renamed due to spam filters, multihulls back on Olympic agenda

SLINGSBY ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILOR

Tom Slingsby was named the 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, becoming the first Australian to win the award. Slingsby was rewarded for his stellar year in which he won two World Championships in two weeks and returned to the top of the world rankings in the Laser class.

However a violent electrical storm in Sydney cancelled the 26-year-old’s flight to Athens, and instead he headed to Perth to join his fellow Australian Sailing Team members. Slingsby’s coach, Olympic Bronze medalist Michael Blackburn, and the team were alongside him when the announcement was made in the early hours of the morning. www.yachting.org.au

KEEL BOATS

British yachtsman Chris Bull sailed his newest yacht, the canting-keel Cookson 50 Jazz, to victory in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s classic short ocean race, the Morna Cup, taking both line honours and the PHS handicap division. The 20nm race from Sydney Harbour to a mark off Long Reef and return was the first race for Bull with the Cookson 50 which he recently bought from Sydney yachtsman Ray Roberts. www.cyca.com.au

Andrew York, skippering Wizzardry with crew Matt Ramaley and Craig Young, was awarded the International Dragon NSW championship on a countback after York and Matt Whitnall, at the helm of Taranui, finished on equal points at the end of the eight-heat NSW championship. www.cyca.com.au

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria's annual dash down Port Phillip has a new name -- the Boxing Day Dash -- as its former name was not tolerated by spam filters. However, a bit of the rooster may be seen as a homage to its past. Traditionally, over 100 boats are on the start line for the 34nm dash from Port Melbourne to Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula. This will undoubtedly expand as the event now allows for sportboats, trailables, cruising and classic yachts to compete. www.orcv.org.au

Entries continue to roll in for the 30th Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race, including the Elliot 57 Future Shock, Craig Ellis’ green machine from the CYCA, which finished 4th over the line in the 2010 race and the Custom designed MBD 40ft racer/cruiser Dream Lover, owned and skippered by Rick Morgan from Queensland. www.rpayc.com.au

Six skippers are contesting the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Dubai, which will signal the end of 20 years of racing for boats designed to the International America’s Cup Class rule. IACC boats were used in five America’s Cups and five Louis Vuitton Cup regattas from 1992 to 2007. www.louisvuittontrophy.com

18 FOOTERS

Seve Jarvin, Scott Babbage and Peter Harris made it two wins from two races when they took out the second race of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour.
www.18footers.com.au

OFF THE BEACH & OLYMPIC CLASSES

At the ISAF Annual Conference in Athens the Council voted in favour of the Events Committee's provisional events for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition, including a Mixed Multihull class. The provisional list of events is subject to final confirmation in the ISAF mid-year meeting in May 2011. www.sailing.org

Yachting Australia’s Youth Sailing Grand Prix is a new series developed to help create Australia’s next group of world and Olympic champion sailors. For the first time, Yachting Australia will be awarding prize money for a youth event, up to $3000 per winning crew, dependent on the class. Classes sailed will include the Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial, 420, RS:X, Bic Techno, 29er and Hobie 16. www.yachting.org.au

AROUND THE WORLD

Brad Van Liew was the first of five solo skippers to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, the first of four stops on the circumnavigation around the world. www.velux5oceans.com

COMPETITION

Win a Melbourne Sailing World Cup Experience including lunch with Australian Sailing Hero Glenn Ashby by entering the Me & My Boat Competition by submitting a photo of you and your boat and the story behind the picture in 100 words. www.sailmelbourne.com.au

CRUISING - RESCUE & RELEASE

Officers onboard the police launch Falcon rescued a 65-year-old man and his 55-year-old wife from their 13m yacht, Barakee, 325km east of Wollongong on 15 November. The couple activated an emergency beacon (EPIRB) the previous day after their yacht’s primary and emergency steering failed while en route to Fiji. They were not in any immediate danger, however, the situation deteriorated overnight and in the morning they issued another distress message advising their vessel was taking on water and its bilge pumps had failed. The crew of Falcon arrived on the scene 90 minutes later and managed to rescue the couple in dangerous conditions just before their yacht sank. www.police.nsw.gov.au

British cruisers Paul and Rachel Chandler were freed by Somali pirates after reports that a ransom was paid by family. The Chandlers were captured in October 2009 when sailing their yacht from the Seychelles to Tanzania.

POSITION VACANT

The Boating Industries Alliance Australia (BIAA) is looking to appoint an Executive Manager. The successful candidate will be a mature individual who has experience in and understanding of the boating industry in Australia, is a clear communicator and is experienced in dealing with senior management in both public and private sectors.
The BIAA represents all of the state BIAs and Marine Queensland on the national interests of the boating industry. www.marineqld.com.au

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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

Dec 6-9 -- Sydney International Regatta - Olympic Class regatta on Sydney Harbour www.nsw.yachting.org.au/

Dec 12-18 -- Asia Pacific Regatta, part of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, is a grade one Olympic Class regatta. www.sailmelbourne.com.au/

Dec 14 -- CYCA's SOLAS Big Boat Challenge - the biggest yachts in Australia race on Sydney Harbour in a countdown to the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. eBay auctions a number of places aboard competing boats with the proceeds raised going to the SOLAS Trusts. The opportunity to fire the 19th century replica cannon to start the race will also be auctioned on eBay at the end of November. www.cyca.com.au

Dec 26 -- Rolex Sydney Hobart starts on Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm on Boxing Day. Charter boats of all shapes and sizes and a variety of costs are available to watch the start of this iconic event. http://rolexsydneyhobart.com

Dec 31 -- New Year’s Eve - Spectacular fireworks are fired off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, barges, and city skyscrapers at 9.00pm and midnight. Charter vessels participate in a themed parade following the 9.00pm fireworks. A special area is set aside for charter vessels in the Harbour. www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nye/

2011
Jan 2 -- Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Offshore Race hosted by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au

Photograph: Tom Slingsby, three-time Laser World Champion. Courtesy of Cathy Vercoe, Luvmyboat.com

Weekly Sailing Summary

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