Weekly Sailing Summary

Aussies win Farr 40 Worlds, Scarlet Runner wins Lincoln Regatta, America's Cup cat back in water

KEEL BOATS

The Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Sydney were won by Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion representing Australia. Antonio Sodo Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone from Italy was second two points behind the winners. With the likes of James Spithill, John Kostecki, Adrian Stead, Grant Simmer, Tom Slingsby, Hamish Pepper, Tom King and Vasco Vascotto amongst the tacticians it was always going to be a fast and fiery regatta. www.farr40worlds.com

Robert Date’s Reichel/Pugh 52 Scarlet Runner from Melbourne and Geoff Boettcher’s Reichel/Pugh 51 Secret Men’s Business 3.5 from Adelaide were on equal points after discarding their worst place at the end of racing in the Lexus Lincoln Regatta. To break a tie the, boat with the most number of first places wins; if they are still equal, the most number of seconds and so on. But Secret Men’s and Scarlet Runner had each scored two wins, two seconds and one third. The rule book solution to that situation is to award the series to the boat that beat the other in the last race and Scarlet Runner won. www.plyc.com.au

Patrick and Roberta Easton’s Beneteau 473 InCahoots scored their second straight PHS win in the Grant Thornton Short Haul Pointscore Series off Sydney Harbour; with Jon Short and Miles Bastick’s Farr 34 MRX securing another IRC win. www.cyca.com.au

More than 300 keelboats will compete in the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, racing in over 24 divisions on eight course areas on Sydney Harbour and offshore. Audi Australia offers the regatta's grand prize -- an Audi A1 to the winner of the Audi Final Drive Challenge. www.sydneyharbourregatta.com

AMERICA’S CUP

Weekend boaters on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf were thrilled to see the America’s Cup cat fly past -- less than a week after it capsized in a freak wind gust in the Rangitoto Channel. After the capsize, the damaged wing was taken to the Core Builders facility in Warkworth, north of Auckland, where a small team, including the America’s Cup Race Management team and members of the Artemis Racing crew, executed a repair in just four days. www.americascup.com

AROUND THE WORLD

The Barcelona World Race’s two leaders, Virbac-Paprec 3, co-skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron, and MAPFRE co-skippered by Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez have passed the last ice gate of the course, and are now granted the right to roam where they like between the gate and Cape Horn. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

The leader of the Velux 5 Oceans, Brad Van Liew is expected to arrive in Punta del Este, Uruguay on 1 March. All four solo sailors have rounded Cape Horn in their Eco 60 yachts. Guteck and Derek Hatfield continue the battle for second place with only a few nautical miles between them. www.velux5oceans.com

Thomas Coville, skipper of Sodebo, left Brest, France on 29 January 2011 and has to return by 28 March to beat Francis Joyon's solo round the world record. Currently, Coville is crossing the Pacific on his way to Cape Horn.

CRUISING

Since 1990, the Van Diemen's Land Circumnavigation has been conducted every two years or so by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. The event is a cruise-in-company involving an 800nm circumnavigation of Tasmania. Lois Ryan, an organising committee member is participating in this year’s cruise on Emeritus II. Read her blog and see the photos at http://blog.discovertasmania.com/

SAFETY

Saturday 26 February 2011 was a typical day for the rostered boat crew from Marine Rescue Shoalhaven. Good weather, reports of tuna in the area and scores of boats from a regional anglers club made it a busy day. www.marinerescuensw.com.au

Marine Rescue NSW’s first new offshore rescue vessel, a fast-response Steber 38 with deployment capability for up to 30 nautical miles offshore, is the first of several to be ordered from NSW boat builder, Steber International of Taree. Marine Rescue NSW has embarked on a demanding replacement program for an ageing fleet of more than 70 craft to provide the NSW recreational boating community with a fleet of modern, Australian-built rescue vessels and ensure the volunteers have the right equipment for rescue work. www.marinerescuensw.com.au

Pirates shot dead four U.S. hostages on a private yacht on 22 February, the deadliest incident involving Americans kidnapped for ransom in the increasingly dangerous waters off Somalia.

NEWS BRIEFS

Due to the large amount of water traffic on Sydney Harbour it is important that skippers are aware of how much wash their vessel creates and ways of minimising it. Wash size and influence is affected by the amount of water a boat displaces, the boat’s speed, its planning attitude and other factors such as water depth. Ignoring a signposted No Wash area can result in a $500 on-the-spot fine, while producing wash that causes damage can result in a $250 on-the-spot fine. www.maritime.nsw.gov.au

Marine Queensland announces a new event on the boat show calendar -- the Mackay Marine Festival incorporating the Mackay Tinnie and Tackle Show and Mackay Offshore Superboat Championships, 25-26 June 2011.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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

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

Apr 15-26 -- Endeavour replica voyage from Sydney to Brisbane www.anmm.gov.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 historic 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 -- 61st 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: Transfusion courtesy of Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.

Weekly Sailing Summary

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