Weekly Sailing Summary

Young Australian of the Year Jessica Watson will race in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race skippering the youngest crew to ever compete in the event. After conquering some of the most treacherous oceans to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world, this next challenge titled Another Challenge, will see Jessica skipper a crew of ten, all of whom will be 21 or younger. www.cyca.com.au

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania is now seeking expressions of interest from owner/skippers to compete in a race around Tasmania to follow shortly after the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The 670nm circumnavigation, from Hobart to Hobart, will take the fleet past the most spectacular coastline in Australia and, at times, into the toughest sailing waters around the continent. A start date is to be set after 2 February 2012. www.ryct.org.au

Olivia Price and her crew of Nicky Souter, Karyn Gojnich and Nina Curtis, representing the Australian Women’s Match Racing team have won the Marinassess Women’s Match Racing Regatta, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, without dropping a match over two days of tough competition. www.cyca.com.au

The 2011 Surf to City Yacht Race was finally run on 5 March by the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club, at Shorncliffe in Brisbane. Fears of collision with flood driven debris delayed the event from late January. A gale warning forced the cancellation of the offshore fleet and the inshore fleet started in a 10-15 knot breeze from the south which built with many bullets of 35 knots recorded. There were plenty of groundings, broken rudders and keels, masts down, blown sails, capsizes, with the worst sadly resulting in Steve North’s well-campaigned RL 24 Go For It still out in the bay after the crew abandoned their sinking boat. http://www.qcyc.com.au/go/s2c/Home.aspx

The Shorthanded Sailing Association of Australia has announced its 2011 Winter Program, a series of eight short-handed events. The series contains a range of events, from entry-level Cat 4 day races, through to the challenging Cat 3 Port Stephens and Two Islands races. The firs race will be on 9 April from Sydney to Botany Bay and return. www.ssaa.com.au

 The Sailrocket team launched its second-generation speed sailing boat at Cowes, UK 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. The boat gets shipped out next week and is expected to arrive in Walvis Bay, Namibia in a month. www.sailrocket.com

 Federal Sport Minister Mark Arbib spent an afternoon crewing and helming one of the Australian Women’s Match Racing Team’s Elliott 6s in a number of races on Sydney harbour. Senator Arbib joined Nicky Souter, Nina Curtis and Olivia Price in a training session against Katie Spithill, Jessica Eastwell and Lucinda Whitty. www.yachting.org.au

 AROUND THE WORLD 
Virbac-Paprec 3, co-skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron continue to lead the Barcelona World Race. Anna Corbella, sailing with Dee Caffari, became the first female Spanish sailor to race around Cape Horn. Racing in sixth place, Mirabaud was dismasted when sailing in difficult conditions with very rough seas. The crew, Dominque Wavre (SUI) and Michèle Paret (FRA), were unharmed. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

 Gutek’s 19-year-old Eco 60 Operon Racing has been lifted out of the water in Uruguay for repairs after competing in the Velux 5 Oceans Race. The composite part covering the keel pins broke as he approached Cape Horn, allowing the keel to move a few millimeters. Gutek was then forced to sail with his keel fully canted to reduce movement but he clung to second place in a photo finish. The next sprint to Charleston USA starts on 27 March. www.velux5oceans.com

Hobart-based marine safety company Stormy Australia has released a full line of PFDs, specifically designed for and accredited with the new Australian Standard AS4758. The current range covers yoke, vest and jacket style inflatable PFDs available with deck harnesses, water-activated lights and spray hoods. Stormy’s new range rate at 100N and 150N of buoyancy, their yokes are 180N and higher.

Ian Murdoch, Marine Rescue Terrey Hills Radio Operator, was awarded the Region Commander's Certificate of Appreciation from NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Ken McKay. Marine Radio Operator Murdoch, together with four members of Broken Bay Water Police, received awards for their part in the rescue of six people on board the stricken yacht Encore which foundered in gale force conditions off Broken Bay on 23 October, 2008. www.marinerescuensw.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 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 -- 61st Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race starts. Queensland’s most famous blue water 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

 May 19-22 -- Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, Gold Coast. www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au
 
Photograph: Wild Oats XI - Rolex Sydney Hobart courtesy of Andrea Francolini