Weekly Sailing Summary

Summary for w/b - 30 May, 2006 12pm

VOLVO OCEAN RACE TRAGEDY
Leg Seven - New York to Portsmouth UK

Hans Horrevoets 32, a Dutch crew member aboard ABN AMRO TWO, died on May 18 after being swept overboard from the boat and failing to regain consciousness.

The crew of the Spanish yacht, movistar (Bouwe Bekking) abandoned the yacht on May 21 and transferred the ten man crew via life raft to ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Joss), which had been standing by.

ABN AMRO ONE skippered by Mike Sanderson won Leg Seven on May 22. Ericsson Racing Team with Britain’s Neal McDonald as skipper finished second and Paul Cayard skippered Pirates of the Caribbean into third place. Brasil 1 was fourth and Brunel fifth.

Off the English coast near Falmouth the body of Hans Horrevoets was transferred to a Royal Netherlands Naval frigate from ABN AMRO TWO. Just prior to Horrevoets being transferred off the boat, the crew of movistar also left ABN AMRO TWO and returned to shore in Falmouth. Later ABN AMRO TWO finished the race in Portsmouth. "We will finish this leg for Hans," said British navigator Simon Fisher.

A press conference with the crew of ABN AMRO TWO revealed that Hans Horrevoets was not wearing a harness or life jacket.

Australian Chris Nicholson, a crewmember on movistar, explains what life was like onboard a yacht beleaguered with problems and which quite literally wouldn’t let them sleep at night. The abandoned movistar has not been located.

ABN AMRO ONE wins their fourth in-port victory out of six. Quote from Dee Caffari, a guest on ABN AMRO ONE: "These boats are amazing and I had a fantastic time. I just can't believe the speed of the boats. They are just awesome and I want one!"

Skipper of ABN AMRO ONE Mike Sanderson and fellow round-the-world sailor Emma Richards were married on May 25 in England.

KEEL BOATS
Sean Langman and Joe de Kock on AAPT took out a rare treble in the All Marine Pittwater to Newcastle shorthanded race. After spending many years and dollars converting an Open 60 designed for solo sailing into a fully crewed "skiff on steriods", Sean returned the yacht to its shorthanded roots, and took out the race record, line honours, and handicap honours!

The 2006 Dent to Dunk Race was won by Mike Davies' Jeanneau Sunfast 36, Sandstone, by a narrow corrected time margin of 36 seconds from John Clayton’s Jutson 60, Millenium.

BMW Sydney Winter Series - For the third week in a row the mid-afternoon changeover blanketed the morning westerly breeze. Twenty five of the 155 starters retired from racing. Robert Skol’s Scarlett O’Hara, with an all women crew, scored a back-to-back win.

Sydney Mooloolaba and Sydney Mackay Yacht Race Notice of Races and Entry Forms are now available from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Wotif.com 2006 Australian Match Racing Championships - For the first time the regatta will be hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on Sydney Harbour.

The Australian Etchells class mid-winter championship will be sailed off Mooloolaba over the Queens Birthday weekend.

A late push is being made to have a Classic Yacht Division at the 2006 Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week.

Organisers of the Gosford-Lord Howe Island Yacht Race have received a record 34 responses to the invitation for skippers to express their interest in contesting the 2006 event.

Dorte Jensen DEN won a Swedish-Danish final at the Dexia Private Banking ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship on her home waters in Copenhagen, Denmark to lift her fourth World title.

ACI Adris Match Race Cup, Stage Six of the 2005-’06 World Match Racing Tour,
Rovinj, Croatia. Johnie Berntsson of Sweden defeated Frenchman Mathieu Richard in the final. Australian Peter Gilmour defeated Italy's Paolo Cian in the petite final. Gilmour leads the overall standings of the tour.

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006 - This regatta had it all. Anything from 40 knots to dead flat calms, rain and scorching sunshine, but with a little bit of patience the on the water program was satisfactorily completed. The beauty of a tropical island location at one of Asia's famous beach resorts means that the onshore activities are second to none.

The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on June 3 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK has attracted over 1600 entries.

Alinghi leads the 'big four' at the top, winning the Louis Vuitton Act 11, a fleet racing event in Valencia. Of the big four, Alinghi was the only team not racing a new boat.

MULTIHULLS
The 2006 Dent to Dunk Race - The first Multihull was Bernie McErlane’s 11·8 metre catamaran, ZIPPY that took both line and handicap honours.

The trimaran Gitana 12 dismasted in front of the port of Nice. The mast fell slowly backwards, without injuring any of the crew. All the equipment was able to be salvaged as the sea was calm and the wind limited to 10-12 knots. The bulkhead holding the hydraulic rod on the stay (cable which keeps the mast forward) tore off.

See also
Keel Boats - The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race

Olympic Classes & Off the Beach - Aussie Sailors Chase World Trifecta &
events

Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby have kicked off their quest to claim three world titles in three separate classes in less than eight months by winning the ISAF world multihull title in Austria.

Holland Regatta, Medimblik, The Netherlands. Aussie top ten results:
 - Laser - 1. Tom Slingsby
 - Laser Radial - 4. Crystal Weir, 9. Sarah Blanck
 - 470M - 3. Mathew Belcher and Nick Behrens 4. Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm
Page
 - 49er - 5. Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin
 - Tornado - 2. Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby

Star Western Hemisphere Championship 2006, Annapolis, USA - Australia's Iain Murray and Andrew Palfrey placed 12th after an OCS on the last day.

DISABLED SAILING
Australians Paul Borg and Kylie Forth won the 2006 International Match Racing Championships for Blind People in Italy, sailed in two identical 24-foot keelboats with a sighted umpire or observer on board. The Homerus system of acoustic buoys defined the course and boat signals that change when on port or starboard tack. This is the second year in a row that Borg has claimed the trophy, having won last year sailing with Don Scott.

Through the generosity of Denis O'Neil and son Ned, Sailability Point Piper has been established to provide all members of Sailability with the opportunity of experiencing Sydney Harbour aboard the 48ft motor launch Expresso with a skipper and crew.

While problems in Dili headline the news, Sailability has brought positive news to the East Timoriens with the announcement of plans to establish Sailability Timor.

CRUISING
Australian Antarctic adventurer and round-the world yachtsman David Pryce has joined forces with polar adventurer Hannah McKeand to launch a programme of Southern Ocean sailing expeditions under the banner of Blizzard Expeditions. Their aim is to give ordinary Australians the opportunity to experience some of the most inaccessible and beautiful parts of the world first hand. At the end of this year their first expedition will sail from Hobart down to Commonwealth Bay and return via the South Magnetic Pole.

Quicksilver Inflatable Boats have added the new super lightweight Dynamic 260 to their Dynamic range of inflatable boats. The 260 Quicksilver Dynamic is ideal for first-time boaters and as a tender for yachts. Davit lifting points allow easy launching and handling and conveniently located lifting handles allow the boat to be carried with ease.

AROUND THE WORLD
Dee Caffari GBR is the first woman to sail single handed non stop westabout around the world. The WSSR Council ratifies her record of 178 days, 3 hours, 5 minutes and 34 seconds, sailed on the 72ft monohull, Aviva from November 21, 2005 to May 18, 2006.

Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race - The fleet, sailing from Victoria, Canada to Panama City, have well over 2000nm to go and are heading towards a tropical storm and then into light and shifty winds.

MARINE INDUSTRY
2006 Australian Marine Awards - The sailing side of the industry was nowhere near as strongly represented as power boats. In Sailing, Non-Trailerable Commendation Awards went to the Bluewater Cruising Yachts Bluewater 450M and the Lightwave Yachts 45 Sailing Catamaran. The Windcraft Hallberg-Rassy 43 won the Imported Sailing Category prize with a Commendation Award going to the North South Yachting Bavaria 37 Cruiser.

Position Vacant - Latest free listings at Boating OZ
  - Part time casual skipper, Darwin
  - Boat trainer - coastal and country NSW
  - Yacht Club Sailing Manager, Launceston Tasmania

Sales from the 2006 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will top over $A100 million in the immediate wrap up of the 18th annual event.

The inaugural Australian Superyacht Industry Awards were presented at a black-tie event at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove.

WHAT'S ON
June 10 - 11 -- Oceanic Whitsunday Boat & Leisure Show, Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach. A boating and marine products expo, showcasing the Whitsunday region's extensive marine-based industries both to trade and the general public. Featuring yachts, cruisers, charters, bareboats, services and supplies.

June 12 - Queen's Birthday Holiday (all states except WA)

More information at www.boatingoz.com.au or subscribe to receive weekly email news with links.