Story from :http://www.australiansailingteam.com.au

The pair dominated the Skud 18 fleet in just their second regatta together since the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, winning seven of the event’s 10 races to take a 3.7 point victory over the World Champion Great Britain crew.

Jamie Dunross becomes the new record holder: 'I'm still in shock that I have completed the trip and am still alive and in one piece! I'm sure I have a guardian angel that was looking after me - there were a number of extremely close calls. I keep looking at the tracker page with the red line circling around the whole of Australia and I just can't believe that Spirit and I made that track!'

The IFDS worlds in Medemblik Holland, was the AUS SKUD’s first major regatta together since winning silver at the Beijing Paralympic Games.  This regatta was the first  for all countries to qualify their nation for the games in London 2012. The IFDS (International Federation of Disabled Sailors) event ran from the 6th to the 14th of July, in variable conditions, at the Medemblik Sailing Centre. Our goal for the event was to re-establish ourselves on the international racing scene as a competitive team, and have a top 5 finish to qualify Australia for 2012 in the SKUD class

The AUS SKUD team arrived in Medemblik early to set up the newly purchased MK2 SKUD. For those whom are not familiar with the Paralympic classes: The SKUD 18 is a two person, lead assisted skiff with a tube- launched asymeterical spinnaker, and modern high performance stayed rig. The new boat was outfitted by our trusty boatman Tim Lowe and coach Adrian Finglas, two weeks before the regatta, with all the systems developed over the previous months of training put into the new boat “Happy Sundays”.

Prior to leaving Australia the team had been training in seperate states, Rachael in Fremantle WA with training partner Justin Kelleher, and Dan in Pittwater with Tim Lowe, as well as together in Pittwater on some intensive training camps. Our timing of going to Medemblik quite early (two weeks before the event) was essential for getting back in the groove as a team, and testing out the new boat in two boat training against our other Aussie IFDS competitors Amy Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason.

The WA offshore fleet will be getting a new addition this year, with Beneteau 34.7 'Fairy Tern' owners Laurie and Madeleine stepping things up to a new Archambault A40RC, currently in construction and pictured above. 'Aardvark' - the chosen name of the new vessel - should be ready to hit the new WA offshore season for the George Law opener on September 18, which will kick start a busy 18 months for the former terns, highlighted by a trip down to Rockingham for the 2010 Cockburn Sound Regatta and an east coast campaign including the tropical regattas and the infamous Rolex Sydney Hobart.

This addition will bolster the already bustling 36-40 foot range in the offshore fleet, with the proven IRC performer sure to create a few headaches in what should be one of the toughest contested Siska Trophy championships since 2009/10.

For more information about the A40RC and Aardvark, head to www.aardvarkyachting.net.au

The local boys from North Sails have just returned from a week of sailing around in the Phuket Race Week 2010 on the Farr 1104 Piccolo. Below is the report from Brent Fowler. Note - I will add in photos once I figure out how to use this uploader (Ohf shore)

Pre-Regatta

The majestic HM Bark Endeavour replica will complete an historic circumnavigation of Australia, in 2011-
12. She will play a role in promoting the exhilarating Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships to
thousands of people at ports from Sydney to Perth, as part of the journey.
The finely crafted wooden ship (built in Fremantle) will leave Sydney on the 15th April 2011 and arrive
back in Western Australia’s busiest port on 20 November, 2011 in time to play a major role at the Perth
2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships (3-18 December 2011). The vessel will add to the atmosphere
of the exhilarating sporting and sailing spectacular.

Freshie Racing Team has had another successful weekend finishing second in the Irish International Match Race at the Royal St George Yacht Club. The event was a new concept with 6 international teams and the 6 local Irish teams racing in Scotsman Bay. The conditions where variable throughout the whole weekend which lead to the program being cut short only finishing at the end of the round robin stage. The team improved race by race on the J80 yachts and had some great racing, only losing to the eventual winner Baggio from France and local Irishman Andy Fowler in a shocking first race. An added bonus was beating the other Perth team in Kieth Swinton and his Black Swan Racing.
An interesting feature to this regatta is the GPS tracking which each race been uploaded on TackTracker and can be reviewed on:

CLICK HERE

The event was a great lead-up to the team’s next event in Pornichet, France this week starting on Thursday . The event is the team’s first grade 1 event and will come up against the current leader of the world match racing tour Mathieu Richard and other top teams. The event is also raced on the same boats as the Ireland regatta which will help greatly next week. The grade 1 event will be a great opportunity for the team which is full of confidence after 3 podium finishes in consecutive events of the European tour.
Thanks to Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, Zhik and the Ron Tough Yachting Foundation for their continued support.

www.freshieracing.blogspot.com

The 2010 Valmadre Cup Series conducted by Fremantle Sailing Club was completed on Saturday with the fleet racing in a 13 to 18 knot East north Easterly which swung north and moderated throughout the day finishing in 6-12 knots from the North East.

The course involved plenty of reaching a running which favoured the longer yachts and culminated in a spectacular finish in Division 0 with 18 seconds separating the first three boats with Charlotte and Optimus Prime match racing for the final two legs.

On YAH Finistere, The X Factor, Le Truck and Anastasia took home the light blue flags in their respective divisions and on IRC, The Next Factor, Archimedes and Blondie were the big winners.

Valmadre Cup race results can be found at the Yachting Western Australia website

CLICK HERE

For those who enjoy suspense, the Presentation lunch for the series will be at Fremantle Sailing Club on Sunday the 15th of August commencing at 1200

Competitors took to Lake Garda this morning for races 13 and 14 of the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships. The Gold Fleet to the Yellow/Torbole course and the Silver Fleet to the Blue/Riva course. The fleet was full of tired but determined faces as the fleets cast off the pontoons. Hill (GBR) and Burlton (GBR) both “appeared” remarkably cool going into the final day of racing, with just 4 crucial points separating them, it seems appearances were deceptive.

Conditions were lively on both race courses, with a constant 18 knots of wind at the start of racing. The Gold Fleet, enthusiastic as ever to get race 13 underway were recalled having jumped the line with 15 seconds to the gun. With the well worn black flag raised, and the course re-set after a 20 degree wind shift the Gold Fleet were underway for their penultimate race of the Championship. Ian Ainslie (RSA) and crew pulled out a great lead on the fleet in the first lap of the windward leeward course and finished the race over a minute ahead of Geoff Carveth (GBR) in second place. Jerry Hill (GBR) finished eighth, Luca Rodion (RUS) finished ninth and Craig Burlton (GBR) finished tenth. It was all to play for in the final race.

Yet again the fleet were recalled on the first attempt of starting the final race of the championships and only got away after the black flag was hoisted. The glorious Garda sunshine finally ran out as the fleet beat to the windward mark, the black clouds burst and the wind dropped to 8 knots and swung back 30 degrees. The Race Officer was in a quandary; finish the race in unstable conditions or shorten the course after the first lap? As the fleet were making their final approaches to the leeward gate, the race committee raised the Tango flag and signalled to the fleet to finish. Unfortunately for many of the fleet, the flag was not recognised and only a canny few held their kites and carried on to the finish line.