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Sail-World.com : Another Sydney to Hobart big boat joins 2011 Around Australia Race
Another Sydney to Hobart big boat joins 2011 Around Australia Race
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Four out of the top five line honours winners in the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart have now reserved slots for the 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race.
Grant Wharington’s 98 footer Wild Thing, previously known as Skandia, Matt Allen’s modified Volvo 70 Ichi Ban, Andrew Short's 80 footer Shockwave registered over the last few months and now the fifth fastest boat south in last years blue water classic is planning to join the Around Australia fleet for the 7,500 nautical mile epic.
West Australian yachtsman and well known mining industry figure Alan Brierty has taken a slot reservation for his Reichel Pugh 63 Limit, which is one of the gun boats on the Grand Prix IRC circuit.
Limit recent took line honours and was the IRC and Performance Racing handicap winner in the 2009 Auckland to Noumea race.
Brierty commented ‘Its shaping as a top class field and as a proud West Australian this is a race I can not miss.’
Work on progressing the ‘2011 Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally’ off the back of 162 Slot reservations in the first 88 days of the life of the event and is keeping Bob Williams and his team at Ocean Events Pty Ltd in North Fremantle very busy.
Williams provided this update on progress.
'The 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally events are anti-clockwise circumnavigations of Australia for Race yachts and ocean going cruising yachts. ‘Australia to Port’ with a number of the prime racing yacht port cities around Australia from which the Race yachts can elect as their start and finish ports. This eliminates the necessity of yachts to travel long distances simply to get to the start line.
This aspect of both the Race and Rally event is proving to be the secret behind the rapid and extensive take up of Race and Rally Slot Reservations. ‘Without the home port start/finish options I don’t think we would receive 10% of the take up we are now experiencing.
With 162 Slot reservations booked there is no question that the Race and Rally have captured the minds of racing yacht owners and ocean going cruising yacht owners in Australia and overseas.
‘We have some seriously experienced yachtspersons from the USA that are making preparations to be here for the Race and the Rally and we can’t wait to make them welcome’.
‘Race yachts from Fremantle start first on the 26th June 2011 and race east to the next Race Start/Finish port and from there are joined by yachts from that port.
‘This process is repeated until the complete Race fleet assemble at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island in August in 2011 and participate in the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week regattas.
‘The complete Race fleet race from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island to Fremantle on the other side of the continent with stop-overs in Cairns, Darwin, Broome and Fremantle.
‘We are turning on a ‘Fremantle Race Week’ regatta in an ‘arena’ to the north, south, and west of Fremantle to welcome the Australian and international competitors in the Race to the Perth area and there will be much Western Australian hospitality provided to make the ‘Fremantle Race Week’ component of the Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally as memorable as the very popular sister regattas on the Queensland coast.
‘Western Australia at this time welcomes back the Western Australian Race yachts as they complete their circumnavigation and set the benchmark elapsed time and points scoring for the balance of the Race fleet to better as they race east following the ‘Fremantle Race Week’ festivities.
‘Some of Australia’s top racing yachts, Skandia, Evolution Racing, Limit, Ichiban, Optimus Prime, Night nurse, plan to be representing their country, their State of Australia, and their yacht club. We already have New Zealand and Korean racing yachts booked in and we are expecting to attract many racers from Europe, Asia, UK, the USA, and elsewhere. New Zealand is certainly warming to the task of keeping the honours in New Zealand hands following on from the late Sir Peter Blake winning the around Australia fleet race that took place in 1988.
‘The Around Australia Ocean Race will be a trophy hunter’s delight. Each leg between start/finish ports and stop-over ports is a race within the Race. Traditional races such as the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is incorporated.
‘We are very pleased that the Sydney to Melbourne Yacht Race will be back on the Australian racing calendar after a spell of 33 years and will be contested twice during the Around Australia Ocean Race.
‘The first time when the yachts from Fremantle, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne race from Melbourne to Sydney. The second time when the yachts that started from Sydney, Brisbane, and Hamilton Island, leave Melbourne to race back to their home port.
‘Every day when I look at the days to go before the start of the Race, 26th June 2011, and the start of the Rally, 22nd January 2011, I realise that there is no time for resting on our butts – it’s now full on getting things in place – and there is much to do!
‘Thanks to all the ports and yacht clubs around Australia that have embraced the Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally and who are providing logistics support.
‘Thanks also to all the corporations that have contacted us offering to be involved in the events. There are some wonderful services and facilities available in Australia and New Zealand and there is no excuse whatsoever for the Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally events not being equal to the best in the world.
‘The Race and rally yachts will be in the fabulously beautiful Western Australia Kimberly region during the northern dry season. I picked up this comment on a web site –‘The Kimberley dry season is characterised by clear blue skies, easterly winds and balmy days with some chilly nights. The weather is very stable, and outdoor events can be planned years in advance. It won't rain. Every day is so perfect and beautiful, it is nearly boring’!
'That was certainly my experience during a couple of weeks in the region – but never boring!
Please reserve your Race or Rally slot now. Go to www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au and complete the Slot Reservation Form.
For information please go to our web site www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au or send us an email at info@sailaroundaustralia.com.au
by Ocean Race Media
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2:14 AM Thu 24 Sep 2009 GMT
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