The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships will be staged in waters off Fremantle 3 – 18 December, 2011. The ISAF Sailing World Championships is a prestigious international sporting event and the largest international sailing regatta of 2011.
This major international sporting event will involve 1200 athletes, 850 competing boats and more than 400 official and teams boats. Inevitably, there will be some disruption to local private and commercial boating activities.
The cooperation and support of local boat owners and operators will help to make the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships an event that again confirms Perth and Western Australia as a major international sailing venue, that like the Americas Cup Defence in 1987 – the State can be proud to have hosted for years to come.
During the period of the World Championships, from Saturday 3 December through to Sunday 18 December from 0800 until sunset, boating exclusion zones will be in operation in Fremantle Harbour, the Fremantle Fishing Boat, Challenger and Success Harbours and in the sailing course areas offshore to the north and south of the Fremantle Harbour entrance. For more information go to: perth2011.com
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470 Girls Make a Stand In Europe
As WA’s 470 Women Tessa Parkinson and Belinda Stowell prepare for battle at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, junior 470 sailors Chelsea Hall (WA) and skipper Sasha Ryan from Sydney proudly collected bronze on the podium in Holland.
Racing at the 470 Junior Worlds concluded last weekend after a tough regatta contested by 92 teams from 26 nations in Medemblik, The Netherlands. Although the competition is limited to sailors aged 21 and under, the standard at the front end of the fleet was described as being not far off the level found in 470 senior competition.
Top Australian sailors are busy making final preparations for the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, the test event for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The regatta is designed to mirror the conditions that sailors will face both on and off the water during the London 2012 Olympic Games as closely as possible, including having just one entry per class per country.
In only their third event together, 470 women’s sailors Tessa Parkinson and Belinda Stowell paired together only three months ago. Both have considerable Olympic experience. Tessa Parkinson with skipper Elise Rechichi won Gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games while Belinda Stowell and Jenny Armstrong won Gold in Sydney in 2000.
The Weymouth and Portland International Regatta 2011 is being held from 31 July to 13 August 2011.
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Yachting WA Hosts Newly Appointed YAI Member Services/Sports Development Director Ross Kilborn
Yachting Australia, under the leadership of new President, David Gotze has reinforced its commitment to enhancing services provided to Member Yachting Associations (state organisations i.e. Yachting WA) and their affiliated Clubs with the appointment of Ross Kilborn to the senior position of Member Services/Sports Development Director.
During his first tour of duty last week, Ross met with representatives of Yachting WA for a reciprocal exchange of fact and to explore future expectations.
Ross, a graduate of Monash University is a qualified accountant and certified practicing marketer with extensive experience in general business and sports management. He has come from Yachting Victoria where he held the position of CEO for the past seven years. Ross is a Laser sailor at Port Melbourne Yacht Club who also enjoys a keen interest in cycling.
The new role of Sports Development Director will be based in Melbourne with a brief to develop the overarching strategy for the organisation’s sport development programs and activities and to contribute to the organisation’s strategic direction. Developing a good working relationship with the Member Yachting Associations (MYA’s) has been recognised as imperative and Ross, in embracing the accountabilities of the position, has committed to work closely with the states to advocate the alignment of short and long term plans to ensure common goals and clear responsibilities between Yachting Australia and the MYAs.
Mutually beneficial, open and regular communications and a close working relationship will enhance the drive and development of appropriate national programs, increasing participation and improve the quality of the yachting and boating experience for all.
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WA Aussies Dominate at Laser Junior Worlds
Perfect sailing conditions in La Rochelle, France on the first day of the Laser Junior World and European Standard and Radial Championship held between 16th – 31st July 2011, saw Australians off to a good start which they maintained throughout the competition despite a downturn in the weather.
The Laser class, undeniably the largest competition class in the world saw the fleets divided into colours with competitors alternating each day.
Typically for France, winds and currents varied across a full range throughout the regatta leaving no room for complacency. Whilst 20 to 30 knot gusty wind conditions were generally comfortable for the Australians, some were challenged by the currents and the 3 metre swells.
The Laser Radial fleet attracted 131 entries including five Australians who all finished in the top 18. Deservedly won by Marcin Rudawski of Poland, Australian, James Burman missed by only two points to finish 2nd followed by Dutch sailor Yuri Hummel in 3rd and WA’s Tristan Brown (RFBYC) positioned 4th. Mark Spearman (RPYC) finished with an 11th having started well but carrying a couple of 19s. Mitchell Kennedy and Jeremy O’Connel finished 7th and 11th respectively.
The Laser Standard fleet drew 147 sailors to the start line, again divided into three colours. Competition was fierce with top sailor New Zealand Sam Meech blitzing the regatta with, after drops a clean card of first with 2 seconds. The British sailors took 2nd and 3rd followed by WA sailors Ki Raphael Sulkowski (RFBYC) in 4th and Luke Elliott (Esperance) in 6th.
Enroll Now For Juniorsail 2011
So…. What is Juniorsail ask most new parents and kids !
Juniorsail, that fun camp especially for kids is coming up soon!
Juniorsail is a special two day, one night residential development camp (sleep-over) for all junior sailors. The annual Yachting WA development camp has been conducted for over 25 years and caters for all young sailors of varying capability in a variety of classes including but not limited to: Mudlark, Manly Junior, Flying Ant, Minnow and Pelicans. Due to numbers, Optimist.have their own camp.
The aim is to: HAVE FUN (and lots of it !! )
Benefits:
Ø develop the skills of younger sailors through instruction and guidance from qualified Yachting WA instructors in a secure and fun environment
Ø encourage and integrate young sailors to meet, socialise and develop their sailing skills with peers away from the comfort zone of their own club and family surroundings
Ø to familiarise the young sailors with their boat
Ø to understand their own competency encouraging greater independence and self sufficiency leading to increased confidence and an enhanced enjoyment of the sport.
Ø finally, to provide the challenge to exercise their enhanced skills.
Ø broaden their exposure to other classes of boats.
Juniorsail 2011 will be held on the 3rd / 4th September 2011 at Mounts Bay Sailing Club.
Sailors must be able to:
Ø provide and rig their own boat
Ø confidently to leave the shore and sail around a small course (speed/style is not a criteria) under supervision but not direction.
Ø swim 50m
Ø participate without parental reliance and presence
Ø be confident to sleep away from home at night
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Gold Coast Australia Charges Across Start Clipper Race Line Closely followed by Geraldton Western Australia
The Royal Navy’s helicopter carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a fleet of hundreds of spectator boats gave a spectacular send off to the amateur crews on board the ten yachts competing in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race.
The event, ‘raced by people like you’, is the world’s longest ocean race at 40,000 miles and set off from Southampton on Sunday afternoon. It is the first time since 2004 that a round the world yacht race has started from the iconic sailing grounds of the Solent and the large community of sailing and boating enthusiasts turned out in force to witness the spectacle under blue skies and eight to ten knots of breeze.
First to charge across, and clearly intent on keeping the Clipper Trophy Down Under, was race debutant, Gold Coast Australia, closely followed by compatriots Geraldton Western Australia when the cannon fired at the Royal Yacht Squadron. Singapore also made a strong start in third place across the start line, with New York, De Lage Landen and the bright pink Welcome to Yorkshire in hot pursuit. Visit Finland was next with the dragon of Qingdao breathing down their neck. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and Derry-Londonderry completed the order on the start line as the fleet chased across the Solent towards the first mark at Stokes Bay in Gosport, where the race is headquartered and where hundreds more spectators were watching from the beach.
By the first mark Gold Coast Australia had extended their lead to a quarter of a mile while Singapore had moved up to second, with Geraldton Western Australia nipping at their heels. Visit Finland had gained two places to round it fourth. Positions will be updated every three hours on the websites’s race viewer.
Tens of thousands of people turned out in Ocean Village Marina to wave the teams farewell before the ten-strong fleet headed out into Southampton Water where crowds of spectators lined the banks to watch as they were joined by HMS Illustrious for a breath taking formation parade ahead of the race start from the historic Royal Yacht Squadron start line at Cowes. Thousands more well-wishers were waiting on shore on the Isle of Wight while pictures were beamed back to a packed race village.
The City of Greater Geraldton and Tourism WA joined forces to sponsor a yacht in the prestigious race, named Geraldton Western Australia. West Australian branding will be splashed around the world at every port of call. The 45 strong crew in the first segment consist of 33 men and 12 women with an average age of 44 years – the oldest 65 years of age and the youngest only 18.
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Medicos Make House Call L to R: Dr Phil Childs, Mr Paul Bannan, Dr David Borshoff and Dr Dermot Collopy
Doctors Make House Call to Hillarys Yacht Club
It’s not every day you get to consult a doctor for free let alone four eminent specialists.
Offshore skipper and co-owner of Farr 49 Knee Deep, Dr Phil Childs, a general surgeon, coordinated a group of fellow medical specialists to provide information on a number of medical related issues to the sailors.
Administered with sizeable doses of humour was a solid measure of medical information adsorbed gratefully by the sailing fraternity. The consult emphasised what could/should be done in an emergency, particularly when a boat and its crew are several hours away from help. A crew, in an emergency situation, can feel totally isolated from medical emergency support teams ashore when they are bobbing around the ocean. While a radio transmitter makes that distance much less apparent and relays emergency procedures, it does not compensate for basic first aid knowledge.
Dr David Borshoff a consultant anaesthetist with a specialty interest in cardiac anaesthesia stressed the importance of keeping the airways clear.
Mr Paul Bannan, a highly respected Perth Neurosurgeon, explained the consequences of trauma sustained by blows to the head.
Dr Dermot Collopy, an orthopaedic surgeon with significant advice regarding the immobilising of broken or fractured limbs and pain reduction, could not stress highly enough the need for all to remain calm.
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Yo!2
Battle Royal for Valmadre Crown
Light and fluky conditions in the recent Mayflower Race, the third heat of the offshore winter series, produced some surprise results and set the scene for an intriguing climax to the Valmadre Cup series.
In Division Zero, John Moore’s Charlotte sailed a superb race to take line honours by a massive thirty five minutes from arch-rival, Trevor Taylor’s Optimus Prime, with Phil Childs’ Knee Deep making a welcome return from a pre-Hobart overhaul to cross third, only thirty seconds behind. Charlotte’s big margin translated into comfortable wins on both IRC and YAH handicapping systems.
Peter Ahern’s Yo! 2 continued its consistent series, to record second places under both IRC and YAH, with Frank Saraceni’s Al Fresco also sailing well to take a pair of thirds.
The Division II fleet also battled tricky conditions, with experience and guile coming into play before Race Officer Bernie Kaaks shortened the course. John Holder’s Plus 16 read the conditions well to take line honours from the Dynamic, sailed by Paul Spencer in owner Craig Carter’s absence, and sister-ship Dennis Vincent’s Wyuna.
Serial champion Bad Habits, sailed by Ian Holder, served notice on the highly competitive fleet of 30-36 footers by adding a second IRC win, after missing the first heat. Peter Kennington’s Traffic Jam added a second to her earlier first and third to stay in touch, whilst Plus 16 took the third place.
Progressive IRC results show Traffic Jam leading from Peter Hickson’s Mulberry, Simon Plunkett’s Terra, Wyuna and Plus 16 though the elephant in the room is Bad Habits, on 15 points but with a potential 13 point first race DNC to drop.
Under YAH, Plus 16 was rewarded with a first, from Ron MacArthur’s MX and Traffic Jam. The progressive YAH scores do not point to an obvious winner.
The 1.030 to 1.080 raters in Division I had challenges from the weather with the un-forecast southerly change sweeping the fleet home to the shortened course finish at Hallbank Beacon. After a four hour match race, Steve Hindmarsh’s Leewana got away to cross the line well ahead of series favourite Problem Child sailed by Jonathon Clough for Brian McMaster. Anthony Kirke’s Archimedes was third over the line, with both the IRC and YAH results mirroring those placings.
Progressive IRC results for Division I favour the consistent Problem Child, with Archimedes close behind from Leewana, This Way Up and Circa. Allowing for a discard, Problem Child and Archimedes are equal on four points, with Leewana and This Way Up on six. As any of these yachts can win, the last race will be the usual prize fight enjoyed by this competitive mid-size fleet. The YAH progress scores feature the same five yachts.
The Division III fleet had no difficulty completing its full course before the breeze shut down, with Mark Trupp’s Chiara scoring the win from Clodagh Irwin’s Anastasia and Graeme Cole’s Double Vision. Paul Arns’ No Rehearsal was again fastest.
The forty-eight entrants in the series will be hoping for fair sailing conditions in the Voladora Race, the final race of the Valmadre Cup series on 6th August 2011. The race commemorates the winner of the first Valmadre Cup race in 1908 – Voladora, jointly owned by L. Hopkins and J. Kennington.
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2011 Yachting WA Development Camps
Annual development camps are conducted by Yachting WA providing pre-season coaching by high caliber coaches. These camps are open to any sailor from the class association who wishes to participate. These popular camps are conducted on a costs only user pays basis. With the new sailing season approaching now is the time to take advantage of the quality training provided at the annual Development Camps. Sailors interested in taking advantage of this great opportunity are encouraged to contact the Yachting WA office on 9386 2438 to obtain further information.
Yachting WA Juniorsail 3rd /4th September 2011 Mounts Bay Sailing Club
The annual residential camp for all interested junior sailors will be held at Mounts Bay Sailing Club over the weekend of 3rd / 4th September 2011. This camp is open to any junior sailor(excluding Optimist sailors). Cost $145 includes Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, daily lunches, morning and afternoon teas. Entries close 26th August 2011.
Yachting WA Optisail – 10th /11th September 2011 at Royal Perth Yacht Club
This day camp will be held at Royal Perth Yacht Club and is open to all Optimist sailors regardless of skill level. Cost $120 p.p inclusive of coaching, lunches, morning and afternoon teas.
Entries close 2 September 2011.
Yachting WA Mirrorsail – 17th/18th September 2011 at Claremont Yacht Club
This weekend sailing development camp will again be held at Claremont Yacht Club. The camp is open to both adult and junior crews with sailors coming from as far afield as Albany. A fun sleepover facility for the juniors is organised at the Club. Cost $145 p.p inclusive of coaching, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, daily lunches, morning and afternoon teas.
Entries close 9 September 2011.
Yachting WA Lasersail – 24th /25th September 2011 at Hillarys Yacht Club
Commencing at 0830 hours, this non-residential camp is open to all Laser sailors at a cost of $120. Coaching, lunches, morning and afternoon teas are included.
Entries close 16 September 2011.