Weekly Sailing Summary

Summary for w/b - 18 Apr, 2006 12pm

EASTER RACING

Brisbane Gladstone Yacht Race
 - Michael Balkin, sailing the former Hong Kong Admiral's Cup Mumm 36 Corum, wins on corrected handicap. Corum finished fourth behind the line honours winner Heaven Can Wait (Peter Hollis), Wedgetail (Bill Wild) and Quest of Queensland (Kevin Miller).

 - Melbourne orthodontist Martyn Riley steered the super quick catamaran Raw Nerve to a win in the Multihull class division.

 - Skandia arrived back in Brisbane on Friday, having “retired hurt” due to technical problems. Whilst sailing along in a sedate ten knot breeze a $50 bearing bush dislodged itself from around a pin which holds the keel hydraulic cylinder into the solid carbon fibre keel frame. Although the boat and all on board were completely safe and the boat could have finished the race, the replacement of the bush would have become more difficult and time consuming to do if they had continued.

Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race
 - Devonport catamaran Plan Four skippered by Peter Newman was dismasted, and despite attempts to salvage the rig the crew had to cut the remains away and motor to shelter under Eddystone Point.

 - The 9.10 metre catamaran Marshall Engineering with team leader Phillip Marshall won the sailing and running event for the second time.

Melbourne to Port Fairy Yacht Race
 - An interesting and variable race - from spinnakers by moonlight to sunshine and light swells, to strong winds, three metre seas, rain and hail. Line honours went to Helsal II, but handicap honours went to Vapour Trail and Bacardi.

KEEL BOATS
Six Catalina yachts will be on display at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show on May 18 – 21. The trailable models, the 22 Sport and 250, will be hardstand exhibits and members of the Trailer Sailer Club of Queensland will be available to discuss owning a trailable yacht. The 28MKII, 320, 350 and 42 MKII will be in the water at the sail basin.

The popular BMW Sydney Winter Series on Sydney Harbour gets underway next Sunday, April 23, with the two traditional opening day events, the Ladies Day Race and the Great Veterans Race. The first of ten pointscore races will be sailed the following Sunday. To meet a huge demand, a second non-spinnaker division has been added to the program. Charter boats and individual places are available throughout the winter for this popular racing series.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's winning combination of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Robert Bell will this week take on the best match racers from Oceania in the Nations Cup Regional Qualifier.

Integrated engineering company, MPI Group, announced a three year naming rights sponsorship of Iain Murray’s ex America’s Cup Challenger – the Spirit of Australia. The yacht will be known as “MPI SPIRIT”.

SEP’S Retravision Burleigh Bash, conducted by Southport Yacht Club, is on April 23. All keel, cruising and multihull vessel owners are still welcome to register.

Gaffers Day will be conducted by Sydney Amateur Sailing Club on April 29. A fleet of historic vessels will sail on the harbour creating a wonderful spectacle for anyone on the water.

China Sea Race - 565 nautical mile race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay, north west of Manila. Boracay takes line honours, fifty minutes ahead of Jelik. Boracay and Jelik are almost identical Reichel/Pugh 75 footers. The 51ft Burns / Kinmonth owned Mandrake won handicap honours.

Geronimo, the maxi trimaran skippered by Olivier de Kersauson, set off on April 11 in an attempt to break Steve Fossett's record from San Francisco to Yokohama, Japan.

See also
 - Easter Racing - Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race & Brisbane Gladstone Yacht Race
 - Keel Boats - SEP’S Retravision Burleigh Bash
 - Off the Beach - Princess Sofia Trophy - Tornados

Flying Dutchman Worlds, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Florida, USA - Szabolcs Majthenyi and Andras Domokos from Hungary won with seven points from nine races with two drops. Ian McCrossin and Adrian Schmal AUS placed fifth and Norman Rydge and Richard Scarr AUS placed ninth.

CRUISING
Kilo, a Silkline 510 catamaran, slipped anchor just after the Kings Cup at Kata Beach mid December, then drifted to The Andaman Islands, India and was held there for some months at ransom by the Indian navy for US$56,000. After diplomatic pressure, no fee was paid and Kilo arrived back in Phuket on April 16.

Australians Bernie and Yvonne Katchor continue their cruising adventures in Panama. A jug of fuel is stolen and they get into trouble with the Congresso at Tubaula.

Volvo Ocean Race - Skipper Mike Sanderson steered ABN AMRO ONE, affectionately known as ‘Black Betty’, across the finish line 18 nautical miles from Baltimore’s Inner Harbour, to add another leg win to their tally of three wins and a second place. movistar skippered by Bouwe Bekking was second.

 - Quote from Sanderson - “Mike Quilter, who is a veteran of at least four of these races and famous for being the winning navigator for both Sir Peter Blake and Grant Dalton, often likes to joke around with us as he works with us on the strategy. In a quieter moment in Rio, he came up to me and said, "Make sure you enjoy this race Moose, boats and teams like this are very special, and don't come around in our careers too often...."

Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race - Qingdao Clipper rendezvoused with a Japanese patrol boat to evacuate a crew member with a dislocated shoulder. Repairs are now underway aboard Jersey Clipper. The stud at the base of the inner forestay snapped causing Skipper Simon Rowell to divert to Yokohama. The fleet are sailing from China across the Pacific to Victoria, Canada.

Adrian Flanagan, in his quest to be the first to sail a solo non-stop longitudinal circumnavigation via the Russian Arctic, is back in the northern hemisphere, 2000 miles from Hawaii. His back-up computer has given up so reports come in by Satcom phone. In a moment of real depression concerning his 'computer issues' he reminded himself that none of his sailing heroes even had email, let alone all the other gadgetry that is on Barrabas. After that reality check he started to feel better.

PRODUCT
Powertec is showcasing the PC18 Wireless Landline at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show on May 18 – 21. The Australian company uses American technology in the product, which enables boaties to connect to fax, landline and computer through the CDMA mobile network.

April 23 - Try Sailing Day at Southport Yacht Club's Hollywell Sailing Squadron facility, 1 Marina Crescent, Hollywell.

April 25 - Anzac Day - public holiday

April 28 - 30 -- Fremantle Boating Festival

Photo: Marshall Engineering in the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race from www.threepeaks.org.au

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