Yachting Australia

Sailing South Race Week - exciting new regatta for Tasmania

Sailing South Race Week will be in Hobart from January 5-9, 2002, and at a similar time in subsequent years, and will comprise a six-race regatta including Tasmania's historic Bruny Island Race, the oldest ocean race in Australia.

However, the emphasis will not be just on sailing. The RYCT is planning a great social program around the event, including a reception by the Governor Tasmania, a crew welcome party, a Tasmanian seafood and wine festival, finishing with the Governor presenting trophies at the RYCT followed by a Race Week celebration dinner at the Club.

RYCT Commodore Robert "Biddy" Badenach said today that Sailing South Race Week had a two-fold objective:

* Encouraging yachts competing in the Sydney to Hobart, Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Devonport Races to stay on in Tasmania for a highly competitive regatta.

* Providing local yachts with the opportunity to compete against interstate and international offshore racing yachts in a regatta format.

"Sailing South Race Week will be a great opportunity for visiting yachts and their crews to enjoy regatta racing on the Derwent River and on the spectacular and demanding coastal waterways south of Hobart," Commodore Badenach said.

"It will give a significant boost to the expanding local fleet by enabling them to compete in an international series on their home waters.

"We hope it will also encourage visiting yachts to stay on longer and enjoy cruising on our magnificent waterways, such as the d'Entrecasteaux Channel.

"We already have a commitment from Roger Hickman, skipper of SAP Ausmaid, winner of the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race and the CYCA's 2000-2001 Blue Water Pointscore.

"Roger, who hails from Hobart originally, is not only going to compete in Sailing South but will also promote the event nationally and internationally," Commodore Badenach added.

The Royal Yacht of Tasmania has the support of Tasmania's Department of State Development and hopes to draw entries from fleets racing from Sydney to Hobart, Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Devonport over the Christmas-New Year period.

A striking advance Notice of Race is being designed for Sailing South Race Week that will be sent to all yacht owners who have sailed to Tasmania over the past two years. This will be available within two to three weeks. The RYCT also has a database of more than 1000 yacht owners in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Sailing South Race Week will have divisions for IMS, IRC and PHS handicap categories, plus a Sports Boat Division, with strong prospects of interstate yachts coming by the Bass Strait ferry to join the expanding local Sports Boat fleet.

The series will start on Saturday, January 5, 2002, with two short mid-river course races on the Derwent at Hobart, followed the next day by the 90 nautical mile Bruny Island Race, first sailed in 1898.

While the bigger boats circumnavigate Bruny Island, the Sports Boats will sail a 42 nautical mile course to Green Island, in d'Entrecasteaux Channel, and return.

After a lay day, the IMS, IRC and PHS divisions will race to Betsy Island in Storm Bay and return, a distance of 30 nautical miles. Again, the Sports Boats will race a 25 nautical inshore course to the Iron Pot Buoy, then to Kelly's Point and return.

The final day of Sailing South Race Week will see two more short-course races on the Derwent, followed by the Trophy Presentation on the lawn of the RYCT and a Race Week Dinner at the Club.

All competing yachts will be berthed at the RYCT's marina at Sandy Bay, with trophies of "Tasmanian fine fare" being presented after each race day.

Founded in 1880, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has been host to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Sydney to Hobart since its inception in 1945 and has also hosted many national and international sailing champions over the years.

Issued on behalf of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania by Peter Campbell - 0419 385 028 or email - peter_campbell@bigpond.com

FURTHER INFORMATION: Peter Campbell (as above), or RYCT Commodore Robert "Biddy" Badenach in Hobart on (03) 6235 9311 or 0417 331 441.

Specialised Coaching

Rob Brown, who has been involved at all levels of yachting competition, is available to help in all areas of sailing development.

From America's Cup to Manly Juniors Rob can assist in your program to develop sailing skills and fully prepare individual crews for representative or club sailing.

Give him a call:

Rob Brown OAM

02 99991692

0412 264735

robbrown@bigpond.com.au

Magnificent Start to CYCA's BMW Sydney Winter Series

The 10-15 knot south-easterly breeze provided the fleet with a wide variety of sailing angles - two fast two-sail reaches, two exhilarating spinnaker reaches down the Harbour and two close beats to windward back to Shark Island as well as testing changes in wind strength.

While the breeze eased for the second round of the Harbour course, there were many close encounters in Rose Bay with most boats in the eight handicap divisions closing up as they neared the finish off Point Piper.

Outstanding performance of the day came from the former America’s Cup challenger, Spirit, owned by Steve Jacob and her designer Iain Murray. The black-hulled 70-footer sailed through the fleet from a handicap of 49 minutes behind scratch to win Division A with an elapsed time of 1 hour 57 minutes 03 seconds.

The Farr 40 One Designs, Corinthian Doors (Richard Perini) and Fruit Machine (Neill Whiston) placed second and third, just one minute apart.

Closest finish of the day came in Division B, with Stuart Stevenson’s French Bee beat Kerry Hoare’s Elusive by just 32 seconds, the Pacific Sailing School’s Cadenza just 46 seconds astern in third place.

Undoubtedly the happiest helmsman today was Gordon Ingate, the veteran former America’s Cup, Admiral’s Cup and Olympic skipper, and Sydney to Hobart runner-up.

Gordon, still an active Dragon class helmsman, was invited by current owner David Champtaloup to helm his former famous ocean racing yacht, Caprice of Huon, in Division D.

"It was the first time in 30 years that I had been on the helm of Caprice of Huon…it was a great thrill," Gordon said after steering the beautiful wooden cutter into eighth place in a fleet of many far more modern yachts.

Among his crew was another veteran former international yachtsman, Mick Morris, also enjoying a great day on a yacht that represented Australia twice in the Admiral’s Cup, in 1965 and 1967 and also finished a close second in the 1972 Sydney to Hobart.

Other winners today in the BMW Sydney Winter Series were:

Division C: Spearhead (Rick Fielding)

Division D: Out of Sight (Matt Wilkinson and Sue Smith)

Division E: Jumpin Jack Flash (Joe Goddard)

Division G: Silhouette (Jay Weymouth)

Division H: Tickalara (Norman Livermore)

Division J: Anna (Bob Gillies)

Further information: Peter Campbell – 0419 385 028 or email: peter_campbell@bigpond.com

Read, Holmberg lead Six-Pack toward Semifinals

Read and Holmberg are on 11-4 with three races remaining in the double round robin Saturday to determine the final four on Sunday. Four others are contending for the other two slots: third-ranked Bertrand Pacé at 10-5, four-time Congressional Cup champion Rod Davis at 9-6 and Britain's Andy Green and California's Morgan Larson at 8-7. All are sailing Catalina 37s in a windward-leeward course near Belmont Pier in Long Beach's outer harbour.

Pacé, the veteran French campaigner now sailing for Team New Zealand's America's Cup defenders, fell out of a first-place tie with Holmberg by losing his first three races Friday. Then he momentarily lost main sail trimmer Chris (Curly) Salthouse overboard while leading James Spithill around the windward mark in his last race of the day. Salthouse said he was knocked overboard when "my good friend Graig Satterthwaite lost his balance." Satterthwaite pulled him back aboard from the stern a few seconds later, no harm done and the lead intact.

France's Sebastien Destremau and Denmark's Jesper Radich, each 3-12, aren't in the running for anything except the event's traditional booby prize book, "Sail Your Boat Right." But they played effective roles as spoilers Friday.

Destremau had lost his last eight races before stunning Pacé and Holmberg back to back, as Radich knocked off Davis. Read's last three matches are against Destremau, Radich and Holmberg.

"I'm telling you, it's not easy," Read said. "Anyone here can beat anyone else. I don't think there are speed differences among the boats." he concluded.

For more information

CHAIRMAN Shannon Gallagher sglaw@pacbell.net PUBLICITY Rich Roberts (310) 835-2526 cell phone (310) 213-2526 richroberts@compuserve.com

Sports Funding Announcement

Backing Australia's Sporting Ability is a sports policy for all Australians. It is a practical plan to ensure Australia's outstanding record of sporting achievement is maintained and that a new generation of Australians is given even greater opportunities to participate and improve themselves through involvement in sport. The injection of an additional $161.6 million will bring the Government's total sports funding over the next four years to a record $547 million.

The extra funds will ensure Australian athletes have the support they need to compete successfully at Olympic and Paralympic level, at the Commonwealth games and in international championships. The Olympic Athlete Program (OAP) which was in place in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games has been replaced with the Sporting Excellence Program."

Federal Minister for Sport & Tourism, Jackie Kelly said, "Australian's proved themselves a great sporting nation at the Sydney 2000 Games. The new Sporting Excellence Program builds on these achievements and ensures that Australia's continued high ranking at the leading edge of international sporting competition."

Total Federal Government funding for the Sports Excellence Program - Backing Australian Athletes to support Australian athletes will be approximately $408 million over the four-year period beginning 2001-2002. This includes approximately $15 million specifically for Paralympic Games sports and sports for people with disabilities.

Each National Sporting Organisation will find out what their allocation of this funding for the next four years will be after the meeting of the Australian Sports Commission Board of Directors in May.

Guidelines for Nomination & Selection for the 2002 Australian Youth Team

The Australian Yachting Federation has released the Guidelines for Nomination & Selection for the 2002 Australian Youth Team to compete in the 2002 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.

A copy of the policy has been posted on this web site in the Youth Program section of High Performance Sailing.

The Notice of Race for the 2002 Australian Youth Championship will be published on the AYF web site in late May 2001.

For further information on the 420 class please contact class President, Mark Patterson on e-mail address markpatterson53@hotmail.com or Class Secretary, Wendy Allwood, at sailor@globec.com.au

Holmberg & Pace Share Early Lead in Congressional Cup

Long Beach, California, April 25, 2001: Holmberg, along with Team New Zealand's Bertrand Pacé, won all five of his races on opening day to make an early move toward his third win in four years in the match racing classic. Between fog banks that blanketed the course during a Southern California heat wave, the 40-year-old veteran from the U.S. Virgin Islands swept through Britain's Andy Green, Stars & Stripes' Ken Read, Denmark's Jesper Radich, France's Sebastien Destremau and Rod Davis, a U.S. native who lives in New Zealand and sails for Italy's Prada Challenge

Pacé, ranked third in the world, had a harder road to 5-0. Against Read in the day's first match, the lead was swapped twice before the Frenchman won by four seconds.

Then Pace had an even closer finish - two seconds -- against Morgan Larson (2-3), sailing for Seattle's OneWorld Challenge. Pace got a pre-start foul on Larson, who led throughout with Pacé dogging his transom but didn't have quite big enough a lead to do his penalty turn at the finish line.

For Sebastien Destremau and his newly formed French team from "Le Defi", it was just a bad day on the water. A solid debriefing tonight was necessary and the boys are now fired up and better prepared to go and sail against the rest of the world tomorrow.

"It is early days and although we had a bad day at the office today, with 13 races remaining before the finals everything is still wide open" said Sebastien Destremau "It is great to be back on the water. This is my first event this year and today we made too many mistakes. Against the very best skippers in the world, you have to sail at your best otherwise you are history. Let's see how we will be sailing tomorrow" he concluded.

Day 1 results:

STANDINGS (after 5 of 18 flights) - Tie between Holmberg and Pacé, 5-0; tie between Read and Davis, 3-2; tie among Pillot, Larson and Spithill, 2-3; tie among Radich, Destremau and Green, 1-4.

For more information

CHAIRMAN

Shannon Gallagher

sglaw@pacbell.net

PUBLICITY

Rich Roberts

(310) 835-2526

cell phone (310) 213-2526

richroberts@compuserve.com

The Congressional Cup 2001 - A Pre-America's Cup?

Apart form French's Pillot and Denmark's Jesper Radich that have no America's Cup affiliations, the Congressional Cup 2001 looks like a pre-America's Cup with eight skippers that are working for seven different syndicates.

Pacé (Team New Zealand), Davis (Team Prada) and Holmberg (Team Oracle) will be sailing with crews from their America's Cup teams, as will Ken Read (Team Stars & Stripes), Britain's Andy Green (Team GBR), Morgan Larson (Team OneWorld), Australia's James Spithill (Team OneWorld) and Sebastien Destremau (Team Le Defí).

CONGRESSIONAL CUP NOTES: The weather outlook promises moderate sea breezes for the first two or three days. . . .

Complete updates may be found on the Web site www.lbyc.org , along with action photos once racing starts. High-resolution photos for reproduction in print media will be available via e-mail by special request.

International Year of the Volunteer Conference

The conference will be a key national forum in which to highlight issues affecting volunteers and volunteering and generate discussion and debate for the future.

The conference will include:

Keynote addresses

Invited papers

Concurrent papers and workshops

To ensure that we are able to host a conference that is of interest to organisations and individuals across the whole of the voluntary sector we want to encourage a wide range of papers and workshops on issues affecting volunteers and volunteering.

We are particularly keen to encourage the attendance and participation of volunteers, as well as volunteer managers.

Further information about the IYV Conference can be found on the Community IYV Web Site at www.iyv2001.net/conference.html and the information can be easily downloaded.

Alternatively, if you would like some copies of the Call for Papers / Invitation to Attend brochure, please contact Kylee Bates on (03) 9820 4100 or at kylee.volaus@infoxchange.net.au

The closing date for abstracts of papers is 30th May, so please forward this information to others at your earliest opportunity.

Young Guns Blast 29er States

The class has boomed since being granted World Youth status and fleet sizes are starting to reflect the 29er’s popularity.

It was the youth crews that dominated the event with Lake Macquarie sailors, Nathan Outteridge (16) and Grant Rose (16) taking out the regatta.

Nathan will add this title to his Sabot and Flying Eleven victories.

Sailed in relatively light conditions (3-12knots), the four day event was hosted by the Vaucluse Amateur Sailing Club.

Sydney Harbour is renowned for its tricky conditions and with light airs, an understanding of current and wind shifts, played an important part in mastering the course.

The Bonnitcha brothers, Jonathon and Paul demonstrated tenacity and experience to fill 2nd spot, just edging out the Central Coast combination of Joe Turner and Charles Doran. Runner-up at the Lake Garda Worlds, John Winning and Eaun McNicol showed flashes of their brilliant boatspeed and along with class veteran, Scott Babbage and Kiwi Andrew Burgess (who flew over from New Zealand and took the opportunity to check out the Worlds 2002 venue), came in on equal points for 4th and 5th respectively. Both these combinations conceded that they gave away any advantage in the light conditions that prevailed.

Another youth combination, Robert Bell (15) and Chris Barnes (16) from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, finished the regatta well to take out the handicap event.

Rob Brewer, who has been coaching the 29er class through the Yachting Association of NSW High Performance Program, combined with Rochelle Stott to wrap up the “Old Salts” division.

The All-Girl crew was won by Katie Spithill and Sophie Ramsden from RPAYC.

Several of the top five crews will head to Kingston in Canada come July, for the 2001 Worlds, while training will step up in earnest for the 2002 Worlds to be sailed on Sydney Harbour in January.

The 29er class has established itself as the logical path for aspiring Olympic 49er sailors and with the international sailing community lighting the way with a Youth World Title in Canada in 2002 to be sailed in 29ers, the prospects for Australian success on the international stage are looking bright.

Farr 40 Old Farts Regatta

The fun series better known as the Farr 40 Old Farts Regatta had a crew age restriction.

Run by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, there were two Windward leeward races on Saturday.

In this is a special Handicap event, handicaps were calculated on the collective age of the ten person crew.

Handicap Results

First Race

1. Corinthian Doors 2. Envy 3. Syntegra Rapscallion 4. Leroy Brown 5. Emotional Hooligan 6. Sharp One Step Ahead

Second Race

1. Corinthian Doors 2. Emotional Hooligan 3. Envy 4. Syntegra Rapscallion 5. Leroy Brown 6. Sharp One Step Ahead.

In a spontaneous guesture Marcus Blackmore donated a major prize.

It was the oldest bottle of Champagne in the RPAYC cellar for the oldest crew person.

A rather stunned 71 year old sailor won a fine bottle of vintage Grange Hermitage.

Four Races Four Winners in the TeamSail Sydney 38 NSW Titles

Just as in the Ord Minnett, the Telstra Cup and the Pittwater Coffs series, there were different winners in almost every race.

The newest winner in the tight fleet racing would have been called Fluid Couplings, but for the protests of Grant Halliday and Jim Comack's wives. So it became more conservatively No Options. However on the way to the finish line in the last race of the second round of the Sydney 38 NSW titles the forward drive on No Options was silky smooth.

In the last race today, the yellow jackets aboard Rush lead towards the bottom mark. However Next came in fast leaving Rush second to hoist, followed by Blowfly, as the breeze went more into the Southwest.

A procession followed as the fleet laid the mark on the run, with Wadadli following, ahead of No Options, Tassie II, Don't Blink, Yeah Baby, then ThE Business well back with Chainsaw.

There were no passing lanes and again on the beat the lead positions remained unchanged.

However as conditions lightened on the run home, Next had moved gently into the lead on the left-hand side. However it all began to go pear shaped. Next fell into a hole, Wadadli, who had been moving forwards, with Rush slowed quickly and No Options seeing the problem slide to the right, with Blowfly.

Gradually the lead boats began to move forwards again, all sliding to the right into pressure. No Options was the only boat with enough fluid drive to go straight to the line.

With much shouting, a raft of six boats formed almost windless at the Committee boat. Wadadli, unluckily was red flagged by the umpires and the 360 degree turn penalty in the nothing breeze, dropped her five places. Blowfly snuck around the Committee boat into second place with the ever-consistent Rush third.

Full Results for the last race were.

1. No Options

2. Blowfly

3. Rush

4. The Big Picture

5. Next

6. ThE Business

7. Wadadli

8. Tassie II

9. Chainsaw

10. Don't Blink

11. Obsession

12. Yeah Baby

Round One has Rush leading on 12 points, with Blowfly second (20), along with her old foe The Business (20). No Options in her first series is well positioned fifth, (25) with the unlucky Wadadli (25) who could easily have been outright second.

Full results are available on the Teamsail Sydney 38 mini-site on http://www.sail-world.com

The next round of the Championship will be held in July, just before the Sydney to Southport race. This will allow some of the Victorian fleet to join the battle and up to 16 Sydney 38 One Designs can be expected to hit the line in the deciding round.

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FREE Entry Pass to Boat Show for Conference Delegates

The Queensland Yachting Association have negotiated with the boat show organisers to provide free entry to the 4-day event from the 24th to the 27th May 2001.

Couran Cove Resort, the venue of the AYF Conference, have offered an “Unlimited Trips” pass on their Resort Fast Ferry Cat to ensure conference delegates will be able to return to the Gold Coast mainland to attend the boat show.

The AYF Conference will run from the 23rd to the 25th May allowing delegates to visit the boat show after conference sessions or over the weekend. Conference registrations are flooding in for what looks like being the largest AYF Conference yet. With officiating courses, an Offshore Forum and several social functions planned around the three-day conference, it is making an interstate trip more cost effective for Club, Class Association, Sailors and other interested people.

Australian Team to OK Dinghy Worlds

The Worlds will be preceded by the Swedish National Championship 27th to 29th July 2001. The Australian Team is 2001 Australian Champion Rob Davis, Mark Jackson, Paul Richards, Peter Burton, Peter Yates, Bill Tyler, Peter Blunt and Damian Smith. Boats will be shipped from Melbourne about mid May using the AYF’s P&O Nedlloyd and Schenker Australia Shipping Deal and are expected back late October 2001.

Flying Fifteen 13th World Championships 2001

Below are the results for the Flying Fifteen World Championships completed in Durban South Africa on Saturday 6 April.

Apparently a very competitive fleet sailing generally large swells with races sailed in wind speeds ranging from under 5 to 25 knots so a real test of sailing skill and tactics.

Final Results incl discard

Sail - No. Helm Race Race Race Race Race Race Race Result

Class Crew 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total

GBR 3591 Charles Apthorp RDG 12 3 3 3 5 2 1

MODERN Andy Weatherspoon 0 18 5.7 5.7 5.7 10 3 30.1

GBR 3721 Steve Goacher DSQ 9 2 1 1 1 12 2

MODERN Phil Evans 58 15 3 0 0 0 18 36

GBR 3648 Mike Hart DSQ 3 1 6 4 2 4 3

MODERN Chris Gowers 58 5.7 0 11.7 8 3 8 36.4

AUS 3718 Grant Alderson 8 1 6 5 6 4 6 4

MODERN Dean McAullay 14 0 11.7 10 11.7 8 11.7 53.1

AUS 3619 Ronald Packer 12 40 5 9 8 3 1 5

MODERN Peter Mudford 18 46 10 15 14 5.7 0 62.7

GBR 3711 Alan Bax 6 11 10 4 5 12 10 6

MODERN Bill Masterman 11.7 17 16 8 10 18 16 78.7

Fiji's President's Cup to be Staged at Legendary Musket Cove Resort

Based on a formula of maximum fun in the tropical sun, the five race series will require competitors to survive the onshore celebrations as much as the keen but casual competition on the water. The regatta has off-the-beach Hobie Cat racing, a golf tournament and the famous Musket Cove Sports Day included in the program along with numerous beachfront parties.

The international fleet challenging for the President’s Cup will be racing on the wide open yet protected Mamanuca Waters to the east of the island in a region recognised as the sunniest in the South Pacific.

The regatta is destined to be a huge success as it is being guided by one of the President’s Cup founders, expatriate Australian, Dick Smith, a man hailed as a father of the tourism industry in Fiji. He is also known for hosting some of the best parties in the South Pacific.

Smith developed exotic Musket Cove Resort with both international tourists and cruising sailors in mind. The appropriately titled $2.50 bar – no drink costs more than $2.50 – is legendary with sailors and guests alike. To relax at the bar with friends, enjoy the Fijian hospitality and watch the sun set in a blaze of golden-orange over the waters to the west is an unforgettable experience.

Some very competitive yachts from New Zealand will be contesting the President’s Cup after taking part in a race from Auckland to Fiji. Yachts cruising the Pacific plus local racing yachts will join them. Dick Smith has arranged for a number of Fijian yachts to be available for charter for the regatta. Some crews from Australia are planning for this to be their way of joining in the fun. Fiji offers the bonus of a very favourable exchange rate with surrounding countries.

Musket Cove offers almost every facility and service required by cruising and racing yachtsmen. The marina and deepwater anchorages are well protected in all conditions. The airstrip on the 240-hectare island is less that 10 minutes by regular scheduled flights from Fiji's Nadi International Airport, or 40 minutes on the Malolo Cat from Port Denarau. Temperatures average 27 degrees Celsius year round. On most days a light cooling southeast breeze makes conditions ideal for sailing.

More information can be obtained from Dick Smith at Musket Cove Yacht Club. Telephone (679) 662 215; Fax (679) 662 633; Email musketcovefiji@is.com.fj Website www.musketcovefiji.com

XXXII Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia Regatta Majorican

The regatta was won by Mitch Booth and Herbert Derkson representing the Netherlands with Australia's Darren Bundock sailing with temporary Dutch crew Arie Van Der Plas. Roman Hagara and Has Peter Stienacher were third. After such a large change to the class it was amazing how close the racing was with only 3 points separating the leaders after 10 races.

Bundock said" It was a fantastic result for himself and could not have asked for better under the circumstances"

Not only was it the first time Bundock and his crew had ever sailed together it was the first time 20 year old Arie Van Der Plas had ever sailed on a Tornado before.

This was Bundocks first ever regatta using a spinnaker and to finish second overall by such a close margin was a real confidence boost to go one better in 2004 as most of the fleet were made up of Formula 18 sailors who are very familiar with spinnakers. Booth and Derkson are the current F18 World Champions.

"Its amazing how much you can learn in one week and it showed in my results, not only did we win both races on the final day, we won convincingly" Said Bundock.

Van Der Plas was quickly initiated into the Tornado Class after reaching the first mark first in his first ever Tornado race and quickly learnt what racing at the highest level is all about with a fleet of past World and Olympic champions just seconds behind in their spray.

Bundock and Van Der Plas display fantastic speed both up and downwind, which was rewarding that the local sail development with Gary Gietz from Olympic Sails with Jibs and Ian Mac Diarmid with spinnakers were well and truly on track.

Bundock now heads off to Hyeres France to contest Semaine Olympique Francaise regatta before return back to Australia.

Both Bundock and Forbes will return back to Europe in August to contest the Pre Olympics in Athens and the Tornado Europeans in Switzerland. Bundock said that he is looking forward to Forbes return with his depth of Tornado knowledge.

A full list of results can be found at http://www.oninet.es/fbv/Sofia.htm

King of the Mountains to Last Boat Runners

The trimaran Rosevears Tavern (Twisted Sister) from Launceston had three luckless sailing legs – hitting a rock in the Tamar River and suffering a 90 minute penalty for using its engine; then experiencing only light winds, sometimes none, down the Tasmanian East Coast around Tasman Island and in Storm Bay.

Finally, early today the crew had to row part of the way up the Derwent River to Hobart, crossing to line at just before noon, taking 1 day 16 hours 26 minutes 25 seconds to sail the final 100 nautical miles – an average of just 2.5 knots.

However, Rosevears Tavern’s endurance runners, Phil Tuck from Evandale and Rod Barnes from Launceston, were in fine fettle throughout the Race, gaining fastest time on the 65 km run to the peak of Mt Strzelecki on Flinders Island and again on the 33km run to Mt Freycinet on the East Coast.

Today, despite being tired from the long final haul of 100 nautical miles from Coles Bay to Hobart, they still managed the second fast time in the 33km and 1270 metre climb to the peak of Mt Wellington and back to Sullivan’s Cove.

Their time of 2 hours 40 minutes 09 seconds was second fastest, but they still had sufficient overall time to comfortably win the King of the Mountains and the trophy for fastest Tasmanian runners.

The Rosevears Tavern team, led by skipper Mar Ellingsen from Legana, will also get a trophy – for being last boat to finish what is said to be Australia’s ultimate endurance event.

Race director Alastair Douglas today confirmed overall placings for the 2001 Three Peaks Race, also announcing that not only had the winning catamaran API Mersey Pharmacy (Excess) broken the overall record time for sailing and running, but had also clipped 53 minutes 31 seconds over the previous best sailing time for the 335 nautical mile sailing course.

He confirmed the first five placings overall as:

API Pharmacy (real name Excess), Chamberlin 38 catamaran (Rob Chamberlin, Caloundra, Qld, and Terry Travers, Devonport, Tas) – total sailing and running time: 2 days 16 hours 08 minutes 35 seconds (overall record and sailing record).

Southern Cross (Wild Card), Radford 14 monohull (Richard Edmunds, Sidmouth, Tas) – 2-22-12-58.

Sea to Summit (Slipstream 1), Simpson 15.2 catamaran (Richard Clennett, Hobart, Tas) – 3-01-09-42.

Haphazard (Haphazard), Radford 14 monohull (Nick Edmunds, Sidmouth, Tas) – 3-04-34-10.

Tasmanian Craftwoods (Quetzalcoatl), Jones 40 monohull (Joshua Ey, Hobart, Tas) – 3-07-33-15.

Adelaide - Port Lincoln Blue Water Classic

including Victorians, Grant Wharrington in a Jeanneau 40, the Port Fairy based Adams 40, Monkey Puzzle and two Sandringham YC boats; the Farr 38, Reverie and the fast little 30 footer Run Run Run sailed by Chris Arnold.

To ensure greater spectator interest, hosts Port Lincoln Yacht Club introduced a sprint leg to take the racing fleet from North Haven along the Adelaide foreshore to a rounding buoy off the jetty at Henley Beach. This proved a successful venture with 100’s of spectators lining the beachfront and jetty and a raft of spectator boats moored near the buoy to cheer the first yacht.

Ausmaid, handicap winner in the 2000 Sydney to Hobart race with owner Kevan Pearce at the helm established a 100 metre advantage over Graham Williams in Prime Example as the yachts sailed a tight reach in a 7 knot westerly to within 500 metres of the rounding mark and looked certain to add the inaugural Simrad Cup Henley Sprint to his trophy cabinet. These two yachts were closely trailed by a tight lead group including David Urry in War Games, Geoff Boettcher’s Secret Mens Business, the CYCSA Commodore, Tess McGrath in her Swan 47, Leda, Jim Hallion’s new Farr 38, Alliance and David Tillett in his Mumm 30, On the Edge.

Suddenly within 200 metres of the buoy, the wind died completely and the lead boats wallowed for 15 minutes while the wind filled gently from the east. War Games, which had taken a course much closer to the easterly shoreline gained the early use of the new breeze to edge ahead of Ausmaid and round just one boat length ahead to the cheers of the excited spectators.

The yachts then turned south-west and sailed close hauled towards the foot of Yorke Peninsula. During the evening the wind strengthened to the forecast 25 – 35 knot south-easterly which ensured a fast passage west past Kangaroo Island and across southern Spencer Gulf to Port Lincoln.

Ausmaid took advantage of the strong winds to record an average speed of nearly 10 knots in the spinnaker run and reaching leg to regain the lead and take line honours with an elapsed time of 16 hours and 19 minutes. Prime Example was second just 14 minutes later, then followed closely by War Games in third place and in time to give her a win on IRC handicap.

Results:

Sydney 38 One Design NSW State Titles

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is continuing its efforts to bring Sailors, Race officials and families together on the water.

Sailors and Race officials will be working closely together with on-water judging being used for the first round of the Teamsail Sydney 38 NSW Titles this weekend,

As many as 14 yachts are expected to compete for the Teamsail Trophy, over three races on Pittwater each day. Seven or eight boats from Pittwater five or six from the Sydney Harbour.

While on-water judging has not yet become common, it is likely to become more widespread, particularly with fast and closely-matched fleets like the Sydney 38s.

Race Director Dennis Thompson from the Alfred’s explained that the Club is taking a leading position in development of on water judging for the larger keel boats. Its aim is to develop a system which can be used Australia wide.

To help in the on-going development on Friday at the RPAYC, there is a special Umpiring Workshop.

This will be led by one of Australia’s leading umpires Graeme Owen from Western Australia. Other attendees will include the Victorian Umpire Rob Ware. These two experienced umpires will form part of the weekends RPAYC umpiring teams.

There will be a total of four teams of two umpires or referees in rubber duckies on the course.

Race organisers have introduced some modified penalties from those previously trialed on water judging.

In previous trials the penalty for an over the line start was a single penalty, a 360. Experienced skippers soon realised that a single 360 was a small risk, if the pay off was a buried rival and they began charging the line.

This weekend, the early start penalty has been doubled and that should normalise the starts.

When a boat protests an incident, three things can happen. There is a green flag, which signals no penalty, a red flag with umpires pointing at the offending boat or a yellow flag, which means more information needed.

The last of these will mean that the skippers from the two boats will sit with the refs in their rubber ducky, as soon as possible, usually immediately after the race and give their evidence and there will then be an immediate ruling.

Another innovation, which has already attracted International interest, is the positioning of a large floating restaurant on the tight inshore windward leeward course.

This popular move will take families into the middle of the Racecourse.

Bookings can be made with Rod Walton on 9997 5566 mob 0414 997 131

This fits in well with the clubs and the Sydney 38 owners desire to bring families into the sports, as it allow spectators to be only metres from the action on the water as the fleet of one-design Sydney 38 racing yachts goes head to head.

Because of the relative ease of ownership, the Sydney 38 owners, according to Alec Barrass, are tending to be younger than traditional big keelboat owners.

This means that the family groups involved with the sport are seeking after race activities will include family entertainment.

On Saturday after racing there will be a barbecue on the ground floor at RPAYC

On Sunday afternoon for the Prize Giving, there will be a family atmosphere entertainment, with live band, a Jumping castle and a BBQ.

The high tech Sydney racer Xena creates a stir in the Brisbane to Gladstone race

Sean Langman's Xena has become a familiar sight for spectators and media watching major sailing events in the Southern states, but her pedigree was less understood on Moreton Bay on Easter Friday morning..

The Brisbane to Gladstone race is unique in that the multihull division starts at the same time as the monohull yachts and spectators are used to seeing the local catamarans speeding away from the monohull fleet.

Buried on the start, tactician Ian Buggsey Potter had Sean Langman tack Xena to port and she picked her way through the second row of starters.

SAP Ausmaid had won the start and Roger Hickman had the Farr 47 well placed, ahead of the giant Queensland maxi Bobsled over towards the crowds lining the shore.

The breeze was only about 8 knots, as Xena struck to the seaward side of the course, initially having trouble filling her giant red asymmetric.

The large spectator and media fleet attracted by the spectacle of this twin wheeled foreign monster with fluorescent twin rudders, were motoring comfortably along ahead and to each side of her. The exclusion zone system seemed of little consequence.

But the dark clouds soon produced what was to be the first squall of many in this 300-mile race. Xena, first to receive the pressure suddenly accelerated and the powerboats scattered in panic as they found the red monster powering towards them at more than 25 knots.

Xena speared around the first mark of the course Garnet Rock well clear of the multi-hull fleet and it became clear to everyone on the water that Bobsleds 1993 race record was under serious threat.

This was further punctuated when the aluminium hulled Bobsled, with her black spinnaker well filled, arrived at the mark 500 metres behind Xena, amongst the fast moving catamarans.

The spectator fleet, unable to keep up, could only watch as Xena disappeared up Moreton Bay, with a 30 knot following breeze..

The Queensland media suddenly understood that the strong south easterlies sweeping the course could deliver a new race record.

The next 20 hours were going to deliver some major sporting news and they went beserk.

By the time the QCYC race managers reached the Gladstone Race control room, some three hours later, the TV networks were besieging the building and the radio stations had the phones ringing off the hook.

Langman and his Xena crew became the Queensland Easter news story…

Sail-World's StarTrack's satellite tracking system played a major role in following the race. Reporters soon realised that helicopters could be directed to the speeding Xena, as she surged towards Fraser Island, with position co-ordinates updating every ten minutes on the Sail-World website.

Radio station news reporters, began providing hourly updates on Xena's progress towards Breaksea Spit, sitting in front of their PC's

Over the next few days, Sail-World will be bringing to its audience, the many sailing and human stories which emerged from this epic race.

World Etchell Title is Mooloolaba

Brisbane's talented North Loft sail maker Mark Bradford has placed an order for dry store space so he can be prepared for what promises to be the best ever World title series held in Australia.

Bradford has named his crew; they are Gary Adsett who previously raced in international Etchells titles with America's Cup sailor and Olympic Soling skipper Rod Davis and the experienced Brisbane sailor Mike O'Brien.

Both Bradford and O'Brien contested the 2000 Sun City Homes title series with Ben Noble and have an extensive knowledge of racing on open ocean courses.

Now that the announcement has been made official with Mooloolaba winning the series ahead of Melbourne and Perth several top international sailors have confirmed their interest to compete. America's Cup winners Dennis Conner and John Bertrand who contested the 1993 Tag Heuer World title on Moreton Bay will head the challenge in 2004

Conner, and Russell Coutts who arm wrestled the America's Cup away from the American skipper in San Diego have won major titles over the MYC offshore courses.

Both sailors have also adopted the Etchells to refine their match racing tactics in preparation for the next America's Cup regatta in Auckland.

However while the high profile skippers lift the standard of the event it is the regular crews headed by Sunshine Coast skipper Bill Butler in Fury who contributed to the strength of the class and allowed Mooloolaba to retain it's bid to host the World championship.

Bertrand contested the recent Australian championship in Hobart and has shown interest in racing at Mooloolaba in this years Winter Australian championship in June.

There is also strong speculation that James Spithill and Joe Newton who are members of the Peter Gilmour AC challenge based in Seattle will team up with Luke Molloy who is presently in Miami training with one of the Volvo global race challengers.

Former World title winners Iain Murray, John Savage and Cameron Miles have also been mentioned as likely nominations along with class stalwarts Noel Paterson, David Turton, Richard Coxon and Andrew Hunn.

The title series will also attract strong fleets for the annual mid winter championships as the top Australian crews evaluate the venue.

CYCA's Glenn Bourke Joins illbruck Challenge as CEO

Bourke will lead the team in its dual Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup program. Bourke is relocating from Sydney, Australia to Leverkusen, Germany where he will manage the illbruck Challenge.

'With racing programs for the world's two premier events under way, we needed the leadership of someone with experience like Glenn,' Illbruck said. 'Glenn has succeeded both as a competitor and as a manager and most importantly has a winning attitude. On the race course, he was a three-time consecutive Laser World Champion, an Olympic competitor, and an America's Cup tactician. He also managed the large team of people it took to have the best Olympic sailing competition ever. He will bring out the best from the talent we already have across all areas of the program while keeping everyone on track toward the goal of being a winning team.'

Bourke, 40, comes to the illbruck Challenge from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney where he was the Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his post at the CYCA, Bourke was the 2000 Olympic Games Sailing Venue and Competition Manager, a four-year project that culminated with successful Olympic and Paralympic sailing events for the world's top sailors. A two-time representative to the Australian Olympic Sailing Team in the Flying Dutchman (1980) and Finn Class (1992), Bourke was a three-time consecutive Laser World Champion (1988-1990).

In the America's Cup arena, Bourke has competed both as a Defender, with Kookaburra in 1987, and as a Challenger, as tactician with OneAustralia in 1995.

'This is a great opportunity to be involved with a professional sailing program that I have admired for many years. I first came across the illbruck program in the PINTA campaign of 1993 at the Admiral's Cup, where I sailed for Australia,' Bourke said. 'Germany narrowly defeated us that year by .3 of a point and I can clearly remember how even then the illbruck programs set the standard long before there were many full-time professional teams. It's an honor now to carry on a tradition started many years ago and to help this team succeed in these two major challenges -- the Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup. I look forward to working with Michael Illbruck and skipper John Kostecki and the rest of the team in achieving success for the illbruck Challenge.'

illbruck Challenge is a competitive international sailing program that over the past 30 years has earned success at many of the world's top regattas. The illbruck Challenge is now pursuing the world's two pinnacle sailing events: the Volvo Ocean Race, the world's premier ocean race, and the America's Cup, the world's top match racing event. The illbruck Challenge is representing the Duesseldorf Yacht Club in Germany's first-ever Challenge for the America's Cup, the competition for the oldest international trophy in sport. The nine-leg Volvo Ocean Race around the world starts September 23, 2001 from Southampton, England and finishes in June 2002 in Kiel, Germany.

illbruck GmbH is a privately held international company with autonomous business units including Automotive, Sealant Systems, Sanitary Technology, Architectural Surfaces, and Filtration Systems/Insulation Systems. Founded in 1952, illbruck has 35 locations in15 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. The illbruck Challenge embodies the philosophy of the illbruck company: sucess through motivation, flexibility and team spirit. The illbruck Challenge is the image medium and primary vehicle for illbruck's global and internal corporate identification.

www.illbruckChallenge.com

Sailor a Finalist in NT Sports Awards

Tasmania’s newest ocean racing yacht to contest Australian Three Peaks Race

Tasmania’s newest ocean racing yacht will contest the Australian Three Peaks Race, the tough combination of short-handed offshore sailing and endurance running around the North-East Coast and East Coast of Tasmania over the Easter weekend.

The new yacht, Josh Ey’s 40-footer, Tasmanian Craftwoods, has sailed from Hobart to Geelong and back since being launched in early January, but this will be only her second long offshore race.

The Governor of Tasmania, Sir Guy Green, will officially start the 13 boat fleet in the 13th annual Three Peaks Race at 2pm on Good Friday, April 13, from Beauty Point on the Tamar River.

The fleet includes a catamaran from Mooloolaba in Queensland, a 30-foot sloop from Melbourne along with monohull and multihull yachts from Hobart, Devonport and the Tamar River.

Built by owner/skipper Josh Ey, a 28-year-member of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart, Tasmanian Craftwoods is a modified sistership to the wellknown Melbourne yacht Cadibarra 7, designed by Don Jones.

Cadibarra 7 was the only yacht to finish the gale-battered 1998 Melbourne to Hobart West Coaster Race.

“My boat is a slightly modified version of Cadibarra 7, as well as being built of timber (King Billy pine diagonally planked hull and balsa deck and cabin top), whereas Cadibarra 7 is built of carbon fibre and has a carbon fibre mast,” Ey said in Hobart today.

“Apart from competing in the Geelong Regatta over the Australia Day, we have won two Pennant Races and finished fifth in the 90 nautical mile Bruny Island Race.

“We have an experienced crew but it will be hard work with just three sailors against our normal racing crew of 11.

“Our other problem could be the yacht’s draft, nine feet, in getting in and out of Lady Barron and, of course, we can’t go through the Dunalley Canal,” he added.

The sailing crew of Tasmanian Woodcrafts comprises skipper Josh Ey, who will sailing in his third Three Peaks, Justin Wells (second race) and James Poulson (third race) while the runners will be Ian Meickle and Luke Rapley.

The other Hobart yachts in the Three Peaks Race 2001 fleet are Tartan, a Northshore 38 skippered by Mark Ballard and Sea to Summit, a 15.2m catamaran skippered by Richard Clennett.

Sweden's Holmberg Still on Top of Swedish Match Tour Leaderboard

PERTH, AUS (April 10, 2001) - Sweden's Magnus Holmberg (80 points), sailing for Team StoraEnso and skipper of the Swedish Victory Challenge for the 2003 America's Cup, used consecutive fourth place finishes at the Steinlager Line 7 Cup, in Auckland, NZ, and the Sun Microsystems Australia Cup, in Perth, Australia, to increase his overall lead in the Swedish Match Tour Championship standings with three events remaining. Holmberg picked up 12 Swedish Match Tour championship points at each of the regattas and now holds a 31 point lead over Bertrand Pace of Team New Zealand (49 points), defending champion of the Swedish Match Tour.

One look and it is obvious the Swedish Match Tour leaderboard is a virtual "Who's who" of America' Cup skippers with six of the eight skippers attached to 2003 America's Cup syndicates. And, as the drive for the Tour championship picks up with just three events remaining, these match racing veterans will be battling it out for their share of the US$200,000 prize purse, including the US$60,000 first prize.

While Holmberg held firm through the Southern Hemisphere swing of the Tour, the balance of the leaderboard experienced a major shakeup over the two-week period with several skippers making significant movement up the ladder courtesy of strong showings.

Pace shot up the leaderboard with his victory in the Auckland event, garnering 25 points and moving from sixth place to second place overall. However, Pace did not contest the Sun Microsystems Australia Cup and as a result now looks over his shoulder at Peter Gilmour (45 points) of Team Pizza La and skipper of the OneWorld Challenge, who moved from eighth to third with the 25 points he picked up for his win in Perth. Another big mover was Gavin Brady (40 points) of the Prada Challenge, runner-up at each of the events who came from nowhere to move into fourth place.

American Ed Baird (36 points), who did not compete in either regatta, saw himself drop from second to fifth. Chris Dickson (34 points) of the Oracle Racing Team, finished sixth at each regatta and now finds himself in sixth place, two points behind Baird and two points ahead of Sten Mohr (32 points) of Denmark who, like Baird, saw his position drop while not competing at the two events and now sits in seventh place. Rounding out the leaderboard is Peter Holmberg (27 points) of Oracle Racing who did not compete in either regatta.

The next event on the Swedish Match Tour is the ACI Cup in Split, Croatia, May 24-30. Tour Year 2 of the Swedish Match Tour concludes at the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand, Sweden, July 2-8.

Spanning the globe, the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour is comprised of eight of the world's leading professional sailing events and is proving to be the ultimate battleground of sailing. In addition to over USD$400,000 in individual event prize money, the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour awards USD$200,000 to the top eight sailors on the Tour. The overall winners are determined by a point system based on a sailor’s best six of eight finishes, with the first-place skipper netting USD$60,000.

Swedish Match Tour Championship

Leaderboard

1. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) 80
2. Bertrand Pace (NZ) 49
3. Peter Gilmour (USA) 45
4. Gavin Brady (ITA) 40
5. Ed Baird (USA) 36
6. Chris Dickson (USA) 34
7. Sten Mohr (DEN) 32
8. Peter Holmberg (USA) 27

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

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17 finished, 14 still at sea in Forrester Properties Sydney – Mooloolaba Race

A final spinnaker run in a fresh south easterly breeze has delivered another 13 yachts across the finish line of the Forrester Properties Sydney – Mooloolaba Race overnight.

While 17 yachts have now finished, 14 are still racing with most of those due to arrive today and throughout the early hours of tomorrow morning. The final yacht in the fleet, Chris Lancaster’s Pussy Cat still has 195 miles to sail and is due to finish late Friday evening.

The latest group to finish just before daybreak this morning included Sea Jay (Scott Wheelhouse), Valtair (Matthew Allen) and Warwick Sherman’s Cookson 12 Occasional Coarse Language.

The next yacht due is Simon May’s Crossing, with an ETA of 9.30am this morning

Provisional placings in the prestigious IMS division have once again shifted overnight with Howard de Torres’ IMX 40 Nips ‘n’ tux, overall winner of the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race in January and the Telstra Cup in December, moving into second place ahead of George Snow’s Brindabella and behind Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin.

Final placings in all three handicap divisions will be known by this afternoon in time for the prize giving for this year’s Forrester Properties Sydney – Mooloolaba Race in association with Maroochy Shire Council and Events Sunshine Coast.

The prize giving will be held at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club at 3.00pm this afternoon when the line honours winner and divisional placegetters in each handicap division will receive their trophies. Media are invited to attend.

South easterly breezes of 10-15 knots with a swell of 2-2.5 metres is forecast for today.

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Seven yachts still to reach mid way in Forrester Properties Sydney – Mooloolaba Race

Seven yachts in the Forrester Properties Sydney – Mooloolaba Race are yet to reach the half way point in the annual 469 nautical mile race to the Sunshine Coast, while three yachts are safely tucked away in Mooloolaba Harbour.

While current ETA’s have the last boats, including Chris Lancaster’s Pussy Cat and Steve Hudson’s Jessie, due in on April 14, the sou’easter that has now blown in over the race track should bring the remainder of the fleet home under spinnaker in good time.

Only the crew from the line honours winner, Grant Wharington’s Melbourne-based Wild Thing were able to enjoy the Mooloolaba Yacht Club hospitality overnight having made a successful dash across the entrance to the seaway just after their 00:11:54 finish this morning.

George Snow’s Brindabella finished second over the line at 1:53:10 but decided to hang offshore until the tide changed, as did Sean Langman’s Xena, which finished at 03:06:46. Both entered the river at daylight.

“It was a very light and confusing race,” said Snow as he prepared to spend another night on board with his crew, this time circling offshore with the sails packed away.

The next yacht due to finish late this afternoon is Syd Fischer’s champion Farr 50 Ragamuffin, which was south of Cape Moreton at this morning’s sked and averaging 6 knots of boat speed.

Provisional results have changed overnight in the IRC division to put Xena ahead of Wild Thing, however with the remainder of the IRC fleet still at sea, a fast finish by the third placed Loki (Stephen Ainsworth) could upset the two maxis currently in first and second position.

George Snow is still the provisional winner of the IMS overall division while James Murchison’s Comvergent Telecommunications will be hard to beat in the PHS division.

Local television stations last night suggested that as Tropical Cyclone Sose moves south away from New Caledonia, the swell will peak along the Queensland south east coast, particularly over Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meterology’s forecast for far north coastal waters is for S/SW winds of 10-15 knots tending SE and reaching 15/20 knots in the afternoon. Seas will be 1-2 metres with a 3 metre swell.

Wednesday should bring SW/SE winds of 5-10 knots tending E/SE 10-15 knots in the afternoon and a swell of 2-3 metres.

Sydney to Mooloolaba: Race finish to go ahead as planned

Wild Thing II dismasted in Forrester Properties Sydney to Mooloolaba Race

Grant Wharington's previous Wild Thing, an Inglis 50 now owned by Geoff Lavis was dismasted off Port Macquarie overnight in the Forrester Properties Sydney to Mooloolaba Race.

We heard a loud bang and then the rig was all around us, said Lavis this morning as he motor sailing under jury rig to Port Stephens where they are due to arrive at 1200hours.

The rig was pumping with the short, sharp seas and the D1 [diagonal stay] snapped in the middle of the rod, a disappointed Lavis said. They were sailing in a 14 knot north easterly breeze when the rig came down at 2200hours last night.

Back on the race track the fleet has quickened its pace, with the first yachts expected to cross the finish line after midnight tonight.

Grant Wharington's 83-footer Wild Thing has picked up boat speed and now holds a commanding 15 mile lead over George Snow's Brindabella as she approaches Ballina.

A further 35 miles back from Brindabella is Xena (Sean Langman) with Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer), a further 27 miles behind.

At 0715 this morning, the skipper of Aspect Computing, David Pescud, reported they were sailing in an 8 knot west nor' wester and had enjoyed a light land breeze overnight.

Race officials from the Cruising Yacht Club and Mooloolaba Yacht Club will this afternoon inspect the Mooloolaba Harbour entrance to determine whether the fleet will finish off Alexandra Headland as planned, or whether they will divert to an alternate finish line off Caloundra because of the heavy seas that are pounding the Sunshine Coast.

On handicap, it has become a big boat race with Brindabella leading the IMS overall handicap division and Wild Thing leading IRC. James Murchison's Elliott 40 Comvergent Telecommunications is the current PHS overall leader.

The Forrester Properties Sydney to Mooloolaba Race in association with Maroochy Shire Council and Events Sunshine Coast is the eighth and final race of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia' s Bluewater Pointscore, which includes the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Current pointscore leader SAP Ausmaid is in 5th position on IMS overall in this race, and barring major mishap, is looking at a Bluewater Championship crown upon arrival in Mooloolaba, the fifth for Ausmaid' s sailing master Roger Hickman.

The fleet is now spread over 180 nautical miles from Ballina to Forster with the tailenders due in on April 14 according to computer calculations based on this morning' s position report.

For further information please contact Lisa Ratcliff on 0418 428 511.

Mainland Yachts on Way to Tasmania for Three Peaks Race

The catamaran Excess, skippered by designer Rob Chamberlin, is sailing from Mooloolaba in Queensland and late today was off Eden on the New South Wales South Coast, motoring because of lack of wind.

The 30-foot sloop Lunchcutter, skippered by Keith Dunn from Beaumaris, Victoria, is due to set sail from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, at 8am tomorrow.

The gruelling Three Peaks Race will start from Beauty Point on Good Friday, April 13 with a fleet of 13 monohull and multihull boats crewed by experienced offshore sailors and endurance runners.

From Beauty Point this unique and challenging event around the northern and eastern coast of Tasmania comprises 335 nautical miles of sailing, 135 km of mountain running and 2646 metres of climbing the Three Peaks – Mt Strzelecki on Flinders Island, Mt Freycinet near Coles Bay and Mt Wellington in Hobart.

The much-travelled 38-footer, Excess, co-owned by designer Chamberlin and Devonport pharmacist Terry Travers, will be competing in her fourth Three Peaks, looking for a win after two seconds and a dismasting.

Sponsored by API Mersey Pharmacy, Excess will race under that name this year.

This will be the first Three Peaks for Lunchcutter, a Mount Gay 30 monohull sloop, and for most of her sailing and running team, entered as Madness in Motion.

However, most of the crew are experienced offshore sailors, including Launceston yachtsman David McPharlane who flew to Melbourne today for the delivery voyage and will be in the Three Peaks Race crew.

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTRALIAN THREE PEAKS RACE by Peter Campbell – 0419 385 028 or email – peter_Campbell@bigpond.com

Australia to Nominate an International Volunteer of the Year

In recognition of the continual voluntary support given to sailing, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is inviting each Member National Authority to nominate a “Volunteer of the Year”, who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the sport of sailing during the year 2001.

Nominees will receive a special scroll from the ISAF in recognition of their contribution to the sport. At the ISAF Annual Conference in November 2001, the ISAF will make a special presentation to one volunteer who, in the opinion of the ISAF Executive Committee, deserves the title “ISAF Volunteer of the Year 2001”.

The Australian Yachting Federation has for the past nine years recognised volunteers within the sport through the “Services to Yachting Award”. The structure of the award had been changed for 2001 so as to acknowledge a number of people who make a significant contribution rather than determine one “winner” of the award.

Due to the introduction of the “ISAF Volunteer of the Year” the Australian Yachting Awards Voting Academy will now be asked to select one candidate to be nominated for the “ISAF Volunteer of the Year” award.

Nominations for the “Services to Yachting Award” close on Tuesday 10th April and may be made by Member Yachting Associations (MYA), AYF affiliated Yacht/Sailing/Boating Clubs, AYF affiliated National Class Associations, AYF/MYA affiliated disabled sailing organisations & AYF Recognised Teaching Establishments.

Nomination forms may be downloaded from the AYF Website at www.yachting.org.au or contact the AYF on ayf@yachting.org.au or 02 9922 4333.

Forrester Properties Sydney - Mooloolaba Race

The Mayor of Maroochy Shire, Councillor Alison Grosse will have the honour of farewelling the fleet with a blast of cannon fire to signal the 1.00pm race start. Her name will be added to a long list of public figures that have fired the 18th Century replica cannon including Mrs Jeanette Howard, Mrs Hazel Hawke and Olympic swimmer Susie O’Neill.

A quality fleet will line up off Nielsen Park for the 469 nautical mile ‘rock hopping’ race to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, including the overall winner of last year’s Telstra Sydney – Hobart Race, SAP Ausmaid (Kevan Pearce), Syd Fischer’s champion Farr 50 Ragamuffin, Grant Wharington’s Melbourne maxi Wild Thing and George Snow’s famous Brindabella.

Joining the line honours contenders will be Sean Langman’s radical Open 60 Xena and Sydney maxi Marchioness (Markos/Kennedy/Cranitch), competing in her final long passage before she joins a charter fleet in Queensland later this year.

This event is the final race of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s summer offshore racing program and will culminate in the announcement of the Bluewater Champion for 2000-2001. At this stage SAP Ausmaid is holding a commanding lead over Brindabella in the prestigious IMS division.

For the second year in succession, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Mooloolaba Yacht Club will join forces in conducting the Sydney – Mooloolaba Race, previously conducted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club from 1964 to 1999.

A revised forecast late this morning from the Bureau of Meteorology has the fleet starting in a moderate northeast sea breeze on Saturday before encountering a moderate south-to- southwest change late Sunday or early Monday.

Freshening southeasterly breezes of 20-25 knots are expected to follow the change with the chance of rain and a possible thunderstorm on Monday.

This is good news for skippers who were earlier looking at light and wet conditions, although the chances of beating the current race record of 44 hours 01 minutes 43 seconds set in 1994 by Brindabella still remain slim.

Last year’s Sydney – Mooloolaba Race saw Brindabella and Wild Thing duel all the way to Queensland, with Wild Thing ultimately finishing seven minutes ahead of her Sydney rival with a time of 65 hours 10 minutes 56 seconds.

John Woodruff’s Dreamtime is the latest entry to withdraw, leaving a fleet of 38 starters on Saturday.

For further information please contact Lisa Ratcliff on 0418 428 511.

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Go, Go, Go, Australia II

An 11th hour reprieve from an Australian-based sponsor means that Australian sporting icon, the America''s Cup winning yacht Australia II, will be able to represent her country at a spectacular sailing regatta in England to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the America''s Cup.

Australia II Jubilee Challenge spokesman, Warren Jones, said the sponsor had agreed to put in a "substantial amount of money - enough to allow Australia II to compete at the Jubilee Regatta in Cowes, albeit on a tight budget.

He said the dollar amount of the sponsorship would be disclosed when the company''s name was made public in the near future.

"The Australia II syndicate is very excited about the sponsorship which came just in time to meet the deadline for deciding whether Australia II could participate at Cowes," said Mr Jones.

With some $200,000 still to raise and a very tight deadline to meet, it looked as if the first non-American yacht to win the prestigious America''s Cup after 132-years would never sail again.

"The new sponsor believed it was important that Australia II go and represent Australia at this very significant and prestigious event."

"The company felt it was an important community project."

"It means we can now present Australia II to the world on behalf of the Western Australian Maritime Museum and we can go out and sell the State of Western Australia."

"We will do all we can to repay this company''s - and other sponsors'' - faith in this magnificent yacht."

Mr Jones said further funding was still required to ensure that the boat was as competitive as possible.

"We would like to have more sails and equipment to give us the best chance possible to win events such as the re-enactment of the first America''s Cup race in 1851, on the original course around the Isle of Wight," he said.

"This race - and others in the regatta - will attract massive media attention and we will be out there to win, just as we were in 1983."

BMW Sydney lines up for Winter Series start

BMW Sydney Rushcutters Bay has extended its commitment to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s most popular series, the Winter Series, for another two seasons.

“The association between BMW Sydney Rushcutters Bay and the CYCA began three years ago and has proved a fantastic arrangement for both organisations with entries in the Winter Series increasing every year and great product support for BMW from Club members,” said BMW Sydney’s Managing Director John Young.

“We are proud to remain associated with Sydney Harbour’s most popular series,” Young added.

Up to 200 yachts from most Sydney yacht clubs competed in last year’s BMW Sydney Winter Series, and the CYCA expects similar numbers for the 2001 series that will commence with the first Ladies Day race on Sunday April 22. As in past years, BMW Sydney will offer great prizes to the winning skippers in each division of the Ladies Day Race.

The 12-race pointscore series will commence on Sunday April 29 through to July 15, followed by the final Ladies Day race on July 22, the weekend before the start of the Sydney to Gold Coast Race, which will take many of the Club fleet north for the winter regattas in Queensland.

Amongst the new yachts racing in this year’s Winter Series will be two Sydney 38s, the CYCA’s Rear Commodore John Messenger and his recently launched Sydney 38 Utopia and Next, owned by the Next Syndicate.

The only significant change to the format of this year’s series is eligibility for the overall pointscore, which is calculated at the end of the series. Skippers will now be required to start a minimum of eight races to be eligible for the overall pointscore.

“This change will benefit the regular competitors and will stop the more casual entrants from upsetting those yachts aiming for the overall pointscore,” said Technical Operations Manager Mark Robinson.

The Notice of Race for the BMW Sydney Winter Series is now available from the CYCA’s Sailing Office or on-line

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