Weekly Sailing Summary

Scarlet Runner breaks Adelaide - Port Lincoln record, Italians win Farr 40 Australian Championship, Aussie team in America's Cup.

KEEL BOATS

Melbourne yacht Scarlet Runner from the Sandringham Yacht Club was first to finish the Lexus Adelaide-Port Lincoln race for the second year in a row, breaking the previous record by about two hours and 20 minutes. Robert Date's TP52 was eight minutes late for the start but finished 14 minutes in front of 2010 Rolex Sydney-Hobart winner Secret Men's Business 3.5, the previous Adelaide-Port Lincoln record holder, skippered by Geoff Beottcher from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia. The Lexus Lincoln Regatta will be conducted 21-24 February. www.plyc.com.au

Massimo Mezzaroma’s Italian team Nerone, the defending Rolex Farr 40 World Champions, has won the 2011 Farr 40 Australian Championship after three days of racing off Sydney Heads. The winner of the Corinthian division was Strunjte light from Germany owned by Wolfgang Schaefer. Lisa and Martin Hill on Estate Master won the 2010-2011 Australian Farr 40 Circuit. The Rolex Farr 40 Worlds start 23-26 February in Sydney. www.farr40.asn.au

The final of the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing 2011 in New Zealand was between two Aussies, Jay Griffin from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Jordon Reece from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Griffin won the event as well as the Harken Youth International Match Racing Championship. www.cyca.com.au

AMERICA’S CUP

For the first time in over a decade, Australia has a team in the competition for the America's Cup. Crew selection is taking place, the technical programme is underway and the formal structure, including legacy provisions, is being cemented in collaboration with Deloitte. Further announcements including the name of the challenging Australian yacht club and key appointments will be released shortly. www.ausac34.com.au

The newly established Australian challenge for the 34th America’s Cup put the AC45 catamaran through its paces on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbor. Sporting team uniforms with the slogan AUS AC 34, the group of nine sailors rotated in various sessions on board -- and their verdict afterwards was universally positive. www.americascup.com

18 FOOTERS

The Gotta Love It 7 team of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage scored a late win in the Ferry Patrons 18ft Skiff race sailed on Sydney Harbour. Pure Blonde’s crew of James Francis, Brad Phillips and Cameron McDonald had withstood a fast-finishing burst by Gotta Love It 7 to win the race, but later James Francis realised that they had misread their handicap and had actually shortened their course roundings so they withdrew from the race. www.18footers.com.au

AROUND THE WORLD

Barcelona World Race leaders Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron on Virbac-Paprec 3 had a technical stopover in Wellington, New Zealand. Mainsail batten cars were changed, the mast checked, the cabin roof bubble was changed, minor repairs were done and the sailors caught up on some sleep. They left as soon as possible after the mandatory 48-hours required for a stopover on land. Estrella Damm arrived into Wellington ahead of Groupe Bel and both crews suspended racing to do repairs. Mapfre, co-skippered by Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez, is in second place as they did not stop in Wellington. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

The Velux 5 Oceans fleet is expected to round Cape Horn, the most southerly point of South America, this week. Brad Van Liew continues to lead the fleet of solo sailors aboard the four Eco 60 yachts. www.velux5oceans.com

CRUISING

A fleet of yachts and motor cruises left Hobart on February 16 to participate in the WMcA Building Services Van Diemens Land Circumnavigation Cruise. More boats will leave from Queenscliff in Port Phillip Bay on 25 February to join the Hobart fleet at Beauty Point in the Tamar River. www.ryct.org.au

SAFETY

Failure to comply with essential boating safety equipment requirements was the most common infringement issued during Operation Blue Water, conducted by NSW Maritime Boating Safety Officers.

NEWS BRIEFS

The Australian Sailing Team’s Tom Slingsby and surfing world champion Stephanie Gilmour were named joint winners of the NSW Athlete of the Year at the 2010 NSW Sport Federation Annual Sports Award. The award capped off an amazing year for Slingsby who reclaimed the world number one ranking in the Laser class, won the 2010 Laser World Championship and the 2010 Etchells World Championship and was named the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. www.yachting.org.au

The Sailrocket team launches its second-generation speed sailing boat from the Isle of Wight on 8 March, 2011. Vestas Sailrocket 2 is designed to be significantly faster than its predecessor, with the ultimate aim of breaking the Outright World Speed Sailing Record. www.sailrocket.com

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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 -- Inaugural Marine Rescue "Splash Out" Festival at Darling Harbour will celebrate the launch of CompassNet Boating Safety Network and the achievements of Marine Rescue NSW. There will be kids’ games and rides, free education and training seminars, stage performances, water demonstrations, flare lighting and much more! www.marinerescuensw.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

April 11-17 -- Sail Port Stephens. Entries are open for all divisions, including the NSW IRC Championship, Commodores Cup (PHS), SB3 National Championship, Sports Boats and the Port Stephens Trophy which has a racing and cruising division. www.sailportstephens.com.au

April 16-17 -- Geelong Heritage Festival. This National Trust organised community event’s theme is ‘Water’. The Royal Geelong Yacht Club will have all types of historical vessels from times gone by on show and sailing. Some rare film footage will be shown of yachting on Port Phillip Bay from the 1930s. The Enterprize will be berthing at the Club all weekend. www.rgyc.com.au

April 17-24 -- Gladstone Harbour Festival. Free entertainment, live music, street parades, fireworks and the spectacle of the yachts arriving after completing the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht race. www.gladstonefestival.com

April 22 -- Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race starts. Queensland’s most famous bluewater yachting event sets sail in the waters off Brisbane every year on Good Friday. www.brisbanetogladstone.com.au

April 22 -- Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race starts at Beauty Point on the Tamar River just north of Launceston and finishes in Hobart on the River Derwent. www.threepeaks.org.au

April 23-24 -- Lake Macquarie Classic Boatfest, Toronto NSW www.classicboatfest.com.au

Photograph: Scarlet Runner courtesy of Fran Solly

www.plyc.com.au

Weekly Sailing Summary

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