Weekly Sailing Summary

About Time wins series, new boat in Audi Sydney Newcastle Race, Queen of the Harbour, AC45s launched and sailing

KEEL BOATS & MULTIHULLS

Winning the final race of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Ocean Pointscore Series (OPS) was pivotal for Julian Farren-Price and his well-named Cookson 12 About Time, from the CYCA. Farren-Price, a jeweller/watchmaker, has provisionally won overall the IRC class of the Lion Island Race, giving him overall victory in the eight-race OPS, with four wins on his scorecard. www.cyca.com.au

Entries continue to flow in for the fourth edition of the 213 nautical mile Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, starting at 12 noon on Friday 8 April from Sydney Harbour. One of the newest boats in the fleet will be Anthony Dunn’s Reichel/Pugh 42, Equinox II purchased last April. www.cyca.com.au

The Australian Three Peaks Race is a non-stop offshore sailing and endurance mountain running event at Easter, commencing at Beauty Point just north of Launceston on the Tamar River and finishing in Hobart on the Derwent River. En route, the running members of each team have to scale Mt Strzelecki, Mt Freycinet and Mt Wellington. Responding to opinions of past competitors, the race committee has amended the rules to allow the Main Racing Division entrants the penalty-free option of adding an additional sailor to their team. www.threepeaks.org.au

18 FOOTERS

Samantha Milner became the Australian 18 Footers League’s Queen of the Harbour when her 18ft Skiff Smeg took line honours in the race on Sydney Harbour. Samantha, along with skipper Nick Press, Dan Phillips and John Valtwies had some sensational rides in the 25-knot winds that swept across the harbour course before taking line honours from Red Claw Wines (Matthew Searle, and queen Susie McKenzie). www.18footers.com.au

OLYMPIC CLASSES

Network Ten has secured the exclusive Australian broadcast rights to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Championships in Perth from 3-18 December. The broadcast will include 30 hours of coverage featuring live racing as well as daily highlight packages of the action on and off the shore. www.sailing.org

AMERICA’S CUP

The American ORACLE Racing team became the first America's Cup squad to sail its own AC45 when it went for a short shakedown sail in Auckland.

Emirates Airline announces its continuing support to Emirates Team New Zealand as the team begins its on-water training program in its own AC45 this week.

Artemis Racing officially launched their AC45 and took it for its maiden sail on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. www.americascup.com

AROUND THE WORLD

The Spring Equinox has sent the equatorial sun high into the sky, beating directly down on those Barcelona World Race skippers sailing through the low latitudes: temperatures are running high across the fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. At the front of the fleet MAPFRE are working hard to maintain pressure on race leaders Virbac-Paprec 3, whose slow but steady gains now put them 192 miles ahead. www.barcelonaworldrace.com

The Velux 5 Oceans staged a charity regatta in Punta del Este, Uruguay to raise money for earthquake victims in New Zealand and Japan. After six races in four-man keel boats it was a tie between, Race Director, David Adams and local racing coach, Luis ‘Chato’ Chiaparro. The Velux 5 Oceans fleet depart for Charleston USA 27 March. www.velux5oceans.com

SAFETY & RESCUE

Crowdy Harrington Marine Rescue with its newly-acquired rescue vessel was able to respond to its first assist on Sunday 13 March 2011. A five-metre cuddy cab with two persons on board had mechanical problems near Giles Shoals about three nautical miles north of Crowdy Harbour. Being keen fishermen, the occupants of the vessel only pulled in their fishing lines when the rescue vessel approached. They were then towed back to Crowdy Harbour. www.marinerescuensw.com.au/

ENVIRONMENT

More than 200 signs targeting water users on how they can play their part in preventing the spread of invasive water weeds will be erected across NSW over the coming months. The signs titled 'Protect our Waterways -- prevent the spread of water weeds' are being placed at priority freshwater boat ramps and canoeing areas across the state. The signs advise water users to inspect and remove all plant material from their water craft, trailers and equipment before launching and leaving the area. www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

NEWS BRIEFS

The increasing role of women in the marine industry is acknowledged by Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show with a new series of activities -- Women on Water. This includes seminars, fashion parades, skipper training aimed at women by a female skipper and female-focused lunches with entertainment and giveaways. Show dates are Thursday, May 19 to Sunday, May 22 from 9am to 5pm daily.

Andrew Plympton last week stood down as President of Yachting Australia, following a seven-year tenure. Yachting Australia board member David Gotze is now President. www.yachting.org.au

Boat Books Australia is closing its Brisbane store and is offering 20 per cent off everything except charts up until 25 March.

Vicsail Sydney has been appointed the new Nautor's Swan agent for Australia and New Zealand with Ian Treleaven, taking up the role as Nautor’s Swan Brand Manager in Sydney.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

April 10 -- ORCV's Rip Tour. No matter whether you're an avid yachty, casual fisherman, dedicated beach walker, interested surfer, summertime boaty, keen historian or local resident, the tour of The Rip at Port Phillip heads is informative and educational and therefore sells out quickly. www.orcv.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 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

May 19-29 -- Port Douglas Carnivale began in 1994 when the locals created a fiesta around a yacht race. Today there's music, arts, sports, food, culture and all styles of entertainment while the Clippers Cup Yacht Regatta is still a feature. www.carnivale.com.au

May 21-22 -- Captain Cook 1770 Festival, Town of Seventeen-Seventy, Queensland, the site of the first landing of Cook and his party. Saturday is the festival's main day and features live entertainment until 10.30pm, including a re-enactment of Cook's landing by a local amateur theatre company and a fireworks display. Sunday is a family fun day for the children. www.1770festival.com.au

Photograph: Julian Farren-Price's Cookson 12 About Time wins the 2010-2011 Ocean Pointscore Series

Weekly Sailing Summary

Tags