Weekly Sailing Summary

Summary for w/b - 20 June, 2006 12pm

VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2005-06
In the most thrilling of finishes, Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard/USA) finally crept past ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) in the closing moments of the final leg in Goteborg, Sweden.

Organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race announce changes to the event format, with the next race taking place in 2008-2009 and with port stopovers in Asia, the Middle East and the west coast of the United States under consideration. The Volvo Open 70 will be the choice of design for 2008-09.

KEEL BOATS
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is updating its records of women sailors who have competed in ten or more Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races. Currently, the records show that, as of the 2005 Race, ten women have competed in at least ten races, but the Club does not have complete details of the yachts in which they sailed nor the years in which they competed.

Margaret Williams is attempting to be the first woman to circumnavigate Australia solo. She left Fremantle on June 2 and is currently sailing up the east coast of Tasmania.

With just three Sundays of pointscore racing to go in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's BMW Sydney Winter Series, the overall pointscore lead changed in a number of divisions after a glorious day of sailing on Sydney Harbour.

Racing on Sydney Harbour this weekend, nine Farr 40's enjoyed some close class racing with two of the teams, Richard Perini's Evolution and Lang Walker's Kokomo, utilising the time on the water to train for the upcoming Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in September in Newport, Rhode Island.

Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week - Exquisitely crafted diamond cut Waterford tumblers inscribed with the 2006 Race Week logo will be presented each day to first, second and third in each class.

Yachting volunteer administrator John Kirkjian and ocean racing veteran Lou Abrahams, both members of the CYCA, have been acknowledged for their tireless contribution to the sport in the Australian Yachting Awards 2006.

INTERNATIONAL
Peter Gilmour AUS stays on top of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings after winning his third consecutive Match Race Germany to wrap up the World Match Racing Tour title and his fourth ISAF Match Racing World Championship. Meanwhile Claire Leroy FRA remains on top in the Women's Rankings.

Giraglia Rolex Cup is a combination of three days of inshore racing in the waters around St Tropez, culminating in the 243-mile Giraglia Race to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock, off the northern tip of Corsica.

New Zealand super maxi Alfa Romeo won line honours in the Giraglia Race to Genoa, although light winds prevented Neville Crichton from breaking his own course record for the 243-mile race.

Australian Katie Spithill and her team will compete in the Mayor's Cup, a women's match racing event in July at Long Beach, California.

Newport Bermuda Race - A record-breaking fleet of 264 yachts set off for Bermuda with one less boat after "Pindar Artemas" skippered by Nicholas Black hit a rock just prior to their starting gun. It's been one of the lightest air races in the 100 year history of the classic ocean race.

MULTIHULLS
The Texel Dutch Open championship comprises of all catamaran classes competing as one fleet on a handicap yardstick. Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby AUS sailing a Hobie Tiger won the event as well as the short track series, a match racing event. In the Round Texel, the world's largest catamaran race, they placed third.

The Volvo Extreme 40's - After nearly 70 races, in five countries, during seven months it all came down to the last day to decide the winner. After a final in Rotterdam, Motorola-CHR won the Rotterdam series while Team Tommy Hilfiger took the overall series trophy.

OLYMPIC CLASSES & OFF THE BEACH
Kiel Week, Germany includes an ISAF Grade One Olympic Regatta as well as international class and offshore racing. Around 5,000 sailors with 2,000 boats take part in 500 races. Olympic class competition starts June 21.

ISAF Grade C1 Laser Asia Pacific Championships, Singapore. Australia's Olympic bronze medallist Michael Blackburn won with a race to spare.

NEWS BRIEFS
Rolly Tasker was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for service to sailing as a sail maker, yacht designer and builder, as a competitive yachtsman, and to maritime related cultural institutions. From Roddy Johnson.

Louis Vuitton Act 12, Valencia, Spain - Match Racing will be held June 22 - July 2.

The world's first research measuring outboard engine emissions in fresh and salt water has found underwater pollutants could be cut by up to 1000 per cent by switching from two to four-stroke engines. Dr Richard Brown of Queensland University of Technology's School of Engineering Systems found that two-stroke engines produced up to ten times more water pollution than four-stroke.

June 21 is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.

Photo - Pirates of the Caribbean storm to victory in the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/2006 ©Oskar Kihlborg www.volvooceanrace.org.

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