Weekly Sailing Summary

Collision on Port Phillip, Ainslie wins ISAF Match Racing Worlds, Outteridge and Jensen Australian 49er Champions, Sail Down Under Series underway.

KEEL BOATS

The crew of the nine-metre sloop Matador were lucky to escape serious injury when the top section of their mast crashed to the deck, following a two-boat collision just minutes before the start of heat two of the Club Marine Series sailed on Port Phillip. Bull 30 owned by Murray McCutcheon was reported to be on port tack when it collided with the Adams 10.5 Cousin It, co owned by Adrian Caharija and Tony Fishley. www.vic.yachting.org.au

The 18-mile sausage-shaped course for the Ocean Pointscore, Grant Thornton Short Ocean Pointscore and Short Haul series marked the finish of the pre-Christmas Saturday races and heralds the arrival of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s busiest period of the year. The Rolex Trophy One Design starts 10 December and the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on 14 December. The Rolex Trophy Rating and Passage Series will be conducted from 16-19 December with a short break before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on 26 December. Entries for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race have officially closed with 90 skippers completing the entry requirements.
www.cyca.com.au

Lang Walker’s Kokomo has taken out its second regatta win in a row in the Farr 40 Sprint Series off Sydney Heads. Farr 40 teams from Australia, New Zealand and the USA spent the weekend fine-tuning crew skills and racing strategies as they prepare for the upcoming Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in February 2011. www.farr40.asn.au

MATCH RACING

Britain's Ben Ainslie and TEAMORIGIN has won their first ISAF Match Racing World Championship title by winning the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia. Ainslie and his crew kept their composure for an epic final defeating Australian Torvar Mirsky of Mirsky Racing Team 3-2. The confident young skipper reached the final with consummate ease, defeating Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing 2-0 in their Semi-Final. www.wmrt.com

OFF THE BEACH & OLYMPIC CLASSES

Three firsts out of four races on the final day of the ZHIK Australian 49er Championships saw Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen finish first on 18, with Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke on 27 points closely followed by Australian Development Squad members Stevie Thomas and Nick Brownie on 29 points. www.wangirslasc.yachting.org.au

Sail Brisbane is over and Sail Sydney has started in the Sail Down Under Series for Olympic and invited classes. www.saildownunder.org.au.

18 FOOTERS

Yandoo’s John “Woody” Winning, Andrew Hay and Dave Gibson may be the veteran team in the fleet but they showed their younger opponents that they are far from easy beats when they won Race 5, the last race of the NSW Championship on Sydney Harbour. www.18footers.com.au

AROUND THE WORLD

Christophe Bullens from Belgium was the last of five skippers to reach Cape Town, South Africa on the first leg of the Velux 5 Oceans race around the world for solo sailors. Bullen overcame several major setbacks including breakages and illness. His original boat was dismasted on the way to the start but he found another boat prepared it and was a week behind the others from the start. www.velux5oceans.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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. 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

Jan 20-26 -- Audi Victoria Week is the largest sailing regatta in Australia with over 450 yachts racing in various classes. Plenty of shoreside activities are available for friends and family who are not competing. www.victoriaweek.com

Jan 26 -- Australia Day. Events on Sydney Harbour include a Ferrython, Awesome Forces displays, best dressed vessels competition, tall ships race, 174th Australia Day Regatta, Sydney Ports Jazz on the Water Concert. For details see www.australiaday.com.au
Feb 4-6 -- Melbourne International Boat & Lifestyle Festival, Docklands. www.miblf.com.au

Feb 11-14 -- Australian Wooden boat Festival www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au

Photograph: Bull 30 was reported to be on port tack when it collided with Cousin It courtesy of Mike Sabey

www.vic.yachting.org.au

Weekly Sailing Summary

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