Weekly Sailing Summary

Victoria Week -- Outteridge Audi King of Docklands, Melbourne to Geelong, Kirkjian wins fourth J24 National title in Sydney

VICTORIA WEEK

Nathan Outteridge, the 24 year-old from Lake Macquarie in NSW, skippering an SB3, has for the third time in four years been named Audi King of the Docklands after battling south-southwesterly winds gusting over 20 knots in Victoria Harbour off Dockland’s Waterfront City. Outteridge plans to compete in the SB3 World Championship in May in Torquay, UK.

Nick Bartels sailed his Cookson 50 from Melbourne to Geelong to an overall win in Division 1 of the opening race of Audi Victoria Week, while Christopher Opielok (Rockall III), a newcomer to Australia and the event, cleaned up in Division 2. Over 300 yachts competed in the race in light conditions. Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki, an RP63, won line honours.

The Audi IRC Series at Audi Victoria Week is the first round of the 2011 Audi IRC Australian Championship, with other regattas to be held in Sydney and Hamilton Island. Racing finishes on Australia Day. www.victoriaweek.com

KEEL BOATS

Sean Kirkjian won his fourth J24 National title, defeating Neville Wittey and Sean Wallis on Sydney Harbour. www.j24australia.com.au

The 175th Australia Day Regatta will be held on Sydney Harbour on 26 January as part of the Australia Day celebrations. www.australiaday.com.au

The 2011 Surf to City Yacht Race, which was postponed due to the tragic floods in Queensland, will now be held on Saturday 5 March. Starting off the Southport Seaway, the yachts head north around Cape Moreton to enter Moreton Bay and then to the finish.

OFF THE BEACH

Ten crews from the Australian Sailing Team, Australian Women’s Match Racing Team and Australian Sailing Development Squad, are in the United States to compete in the second round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami. Racing begins 24 January. www.yachting.org.au

18 FOOTERS

Trevor Barnabas won his second race from the three races sailed so far in the Australian Championship, but he won’t be declared champion after the series concludes on Sunday 30 January on Sydney Harbour. Barnabas retired a couple of years ago but filled in earlier on Smeg when Nick Press was successfully defending his Inter-dominion 12ft Skiff title, and won race three on Thurlow Fisher Lawyers as replacement for the injured Michael Coxon. www.18footers.com.au

AROUND THE WORLD

Canadian solo sailor Derek Hatfield, competing in the Velux 5 Ocean race, arrived in Wellington New Zealand third. Christopher Stanmore-Major from Britain is struggling to finish in tough conditions in Cook Strait. www.velux5oceans.com

The leaders in the Barcelona World Race have passed the waypoint of Gough Island. Virbac Paprec 3’s position was confirmed by Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron (FRA) but organisers assume that Foncia has also passed the mark, but Michel Desjoyeaux and Francois Gabart (FRA) are in ‘ghost’ mode and their position will remain unreported to both race followers and race rivals until later. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

The maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V set off on 22 January in an attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy by breaking the round-the-world record set by Groupama 3 on 20 March 2010. Pascal Bidegorry and his 13 crew have to be back in Port du Chateau in Brest, France in less than 48 days 7 hours and 44 minutes. www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/press/Maxi-Trimaran-Banque-Populaire-V

COASTAL GLIDER

A $200,000 CSIRO coastal glider is bound for Queensland to be deployed in Moreton Bay to investigate the impact of the recent flooding on marine ecosystems. The glider will generate three-dimensional maps illustrating the impact of the flooding on the marine waters receiving the flow of the Brisbane River. There are only two of the robotic monitors in the world with this array of sensors. It will help ocean engineers to predict how the system is being affected now and how it will be affected in future. www.csiro.au

SAFETY & RESCUE

Following two incidents where large seas swamped boats, NSW Maritime reminds boaters to be aware of the dangers of capsize when crossing coastal bars and when fishing on bomboras and shallow coastal reefs. Skippers should check conditions before heading offshore as swells from storms thousands of kilometres away can turn into large waves with absolutely no warning. www.maritime.nsw.gov.au

Marine Rescue NSW calls for all boaties to log on with their local volunteers, giving information about the boat, the number of people on board, some contact details and the day’s plans. Skippers can register with the Marine Rescue unit so that much of the information is already recorded. The skipper logs off when back safe, but if a log off is late, radio operators will try to contact the skipper by radio and phone. They’ll check the home contact provided in case the skipper just plain forgot -- which is not hard to do if you’ve had a good day out. www.marinerescuensw.com.au

NEWS BRIEFS

NSW Maritime has approved the redevelopment of the Rose Bay seaplane base on Sydney Harbour. Rose Bay has a long aviation history as Australia’s first international airport and the original home of the famous Catalina flying boats. www.maritime.nsw.gov.au

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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 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 5-6 -- Rosehill Trailerboat Show, Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney www.bia.org.au

Mar 5-6 -- Audi Sydney Regatta, Middle Harbour Yacht Club www.sydneyharbourregatta.com.au

Mar 6 -- Clean Up Australia Day www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

Photograph: Hanging around in light air on Corio Bay -- Audi Victoria Week 2011 -- courtesy of Andrea Francolini / Audi ©

Weekly Sailing Summary

Tags