Weekly Sailing Summary

Moth, Mirror and Dragon Worlds in Australia, Etchells, A Class Cat, 18ft Skiffs and Optimist National titles

OFF THE BEACH

The Zhik Moth Worlds are being conducted by the Belmont 16ft Sailing Club on Lake Macquarie. Nathan Outteridge won all but one of the nine qualifying races. The event is scheduled to finish 14 January. www.mothworlds.org/belmont

The Mirror Worlds held in Albany, Western Australia were won by the Irish crew of Ross Kearney and Max Odell. www.mirrorworlds2011.com

With 160 crews contesting the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship on Sydney’s Botany Bay, a number of classes came right down to the final race to decide the winners. www.youthchamps.org.au

The largest Optimist regatta ever hosted in Australia started 11 January on Pittwater with 172 boats with crew aged between eight and 15. The 2011 International Optimist Australian & Open Championships is hosted by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Newport. www.rpayc.com.au

KEEL BOATS

African Queen, the International Dragon, with her Danish skipper Joergen Schoenherr and crew of Axel Waltersdorph and Teis Palm were presented with the Prince Philip Cup, after the lead-up event for the Dragon Worlds conducted by Royal Brighton Yacht Club. The Dragon Worlds are now underway on Port Phillip. www.dragonworlds2011.com.au

The first two days of racing for keel boats in the Southport Yacht Club’s Marinonics Sail Paradise were postponed due to strong winds, exceptional rain, and heavy seas on the Gold Coast. www.sailparadise.com.au

Royal Geelong Yacht Club is hosting the Rex Gorell Prestige Etchells Australian Championship 2011. Sailors competing in the event include a long list of America’s Cup sailors, World Champions and Olympians. www.etchells.org.au/nationals

18 FOOTERS

The Smeg team of Trevor Barnabas, Dan Phillips and Dave Ewings took out the first race of the Australian 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour in difficult conditions. The race began sensationally when defending champion and pre race favourite Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) collided with the stern of the starter boat and was an immediate retiree. www.18footers.com.au

MULTIHULLS

The A Class Catamaran Australian Championship was conducted by Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. World champion Glenn Ashby won the event on 6 points with Steve Brewin again the runner up on 16 points, Olympian Darren Bundock on 20 points, Olympian Andrew Landenberger 21 points and Team New Zealand’s Dean Barker on 22 points. www.lcsc.org.au

AROUND THE WORLD

Brad Van Liew leads the Velux 5 Oceans fleet to Wellington, New Zealand, followed by Derrick Hatfield and Gutek who have changed places several times since Cape Town. Following a big storm the solo skippers are enjoying favourable conditions but a high-pressure system awaits them south of Tasmania. www.velux5oceans.com

Virbac Paprec 3 and Foncia, the leaders of the Barcelona World Race, have passed the Cape Verde Islands, setting a relentless pace. Three boats clocked over 400 miles in 24 hours. Jean Le Cam and Spanish co-skipper Bruno Garcia reported that they were sailing at speeds of between 16 and 20 knots when their IMOCA Open 60 President hit a wave and the mast broke. Both are safe and healthy.

- British skipper Alex Thomson has been declared medically fit to join the race after recovering from an emergency appendectomy on 29 December which prevented him from starting the two-handed round-the-world race. But he has delayed joining Hugo Boss as planned as his baby son Oscar, who was born 7 January, has been diagnosed with a heart condition. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

A new fleet will be delivered for the 2013-14 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The Clipper 70 is the third generation of Clipper racing yacht and has been designed by renowned naval architect Tony Castro for the gruelling sailing conditions experienced on the Clipper Race. www.clipperroundtheworld.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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, Hobart. www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au

Feb 16-Mar 20 -- Van Dieman’s Land Circumnavigation Cruise. www.ryct.org.au

Feb 19 -- The Wooden Boat Rally will be held on the Tamar River at the Seaport Marina in Launceston, Tasmania. www.woodenboatrally.com

Feb 23-Mar 5 -- Australian Offshore Challenge Bass Strait Rally, a 700 nautical mile navigation rally for powerboats starts in Hobart. The fleet travels the east coast of Tasmania, before crossing Bass Strait via the islands of the Furneaux Group and then on to Westernport to the finish in Melbourne.

Feb 24-27 -- Variety Splash - a three day rally on Port Phillip open to all sail and power boats, commencing at Waterfront City, Docklands, with as evening ‘Welcome’ function. www.varietysplash.org.au

Feb 25-Mar 4 -- Geographe Bay Race Week held at in Busselton is the largest yachting regatta in Western Australia. www.gbyc.com.au

Feb 26-27 -- South Australian Wooden Boat Festival at the historic River Port of Goolwa. www.woodenboatfestival.com.au/

Mar 3-13 -- JJ Giltinan International Championship, Sydney Harbour, sometimes referred to as the 18 Footer Worlds. www.18footers.com.au

Mar 12-13 -- Australian Offshore Superboat Championship - Round 1, Williamstown, Melbourne. www.superboat.com.au

Photograph: Bora Gulari is praying for more breeze - courtesy of

www.ThMartinez.com

Weekly Sailing Summary

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