2. 4. 6. And no 8, but dig in anyway!

by John Curnow, Editor Sail-World AUS on 3 Jul 2017 Choice. It is one of the great cornerstones of everything from Government Policy to Marketing Strategy. That’s great, but alas, after all, this is a nautical newsletter. So anyway, sailors are going to be offered the widest selection of Christmas time races this year. And yes, you are compelled now to dig and don’t wait, for now is the time for planning, and all too soon will be the time for competing.

Numerically, this all works out very nicely, thank you. First off was the Cat1 Rolex Sydney Hobart which had its NoR and entry go live. Mathematically, it is 628nm down to the Capital of the Apple Isle. For its second year, the Cat2 Pittwater to Paradise will run its mid-400nm course from January 2, 2018. Now the newest item on the calendar is the Cat3+ Pantaenius Newport to Coffs Coast race on December 27, and if you need help joining the dots, that particular race is in the low 200s.

More than ever, it means if you are dead keen, you can partake in two of the three! You could do Hobart and then Southport, or even Coffs then Southport, the latter almost certainly with your own boat still. This aspect could well be very appealing to many an owner and/or sailor, and when you hear about some of the plans afoot, then it could well be a reinvigoration that ocean sailing needs right now.

Ian Audsley, the Commodore of the Royal Prince Alfred YC, commented, “We are looking forward to running the second Pittwater to Paradise. It is very exciting to be partnering up with the Southport Yacht Club once more, and we’re both committed to supporting sailing, especially with the youths, but remembering that this is a sport for life.”

“Our clubs are very keen to promote sailing into the large catchment areas we both occupy. You can be sure that Southport will welcome all the finishers in exactly the same way that RPAYC will look after you before it all starts. A contingent of RPAYC sailors and volunteers will go to Southport to give you that continuity of feel, and ensure you get that special feeling you got accustomed to down the road.”

“We will greet every boat, no matter what time of day they arrive, with the obligatory case of beer, some hot chips and other items like burgers. I can say that RPAYC and SYC will put on a great event. Together, we’ll make sure that everyone is ready for Sail Paradise, which begins on January 6, 2018. All involved are bound to have lovely week, with the racing up there held close to their world famous beach.”

So seeing as this little ditty is all about numbers, it seems utterly appropriate to now say, ‘then there was just one’. Yes, the announcement of the seventh VOR entry in long time supporter, Brunel, with Bouwe Bekking back for his eight tilt at it, was not that surprising. Given his pedigree, you would think any experienced sailor not contracted elsewhere by now will be just chomping at the bit to get on board. There are some names still out there, so he may yet get to have that maiden victory.

Certainly Donfeng were into it all early and have been chartering craft for things like the Hobart for some time. MAPFRE and Vestas have certain known quantities about them, and the later arrivals like AkzoNobel (new boat) and Sun Hung Kai get dark horse ratings for now, which could well be just how they like it. Dee Caffari’s, Turn The Tide On Plastic, should get the world’s vote for the best cause ever! We do hope they also get the best preparation ever…

OK. So the title said there was no ‘eight’ on offer, but actually, there is one! Ooops (not). It was all part of the plan (Yeah right). Anyway, will we see all eight VOR 65s on the start line of this year’s Fastnet race? That will be a bit of an ask, given the time line, but it was always mandated, so who knows… Alas, this particular one could well be a wait and see job.

One we don’t have to wait for, was to find out who would be the Challenger of Record for the 36thAmerica’s Cup. Luna Rossa, or more specifically, the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, wasted no time in getting in, which kind of says the Kiwis were not the only ones a tad upset with Larry’s (now failed) big vision for the whole thing. The notions of combining innovation and tradition (read athletes from the nominated country, specific yacht clubs, and the ambience of the bygone 12m era) seem to be very prevalent, if not immediately evident. Of course, in the very next breath you have to wonder what will happen to Team USA, sorry AUS, in all of this shakedown. Not sure SEEK has a yachting section… Ah. Alas, where would a Cup be without mystery and intrigue?

We have just had one, so now it could well be a time to ‘pick a box’, as it were. That particular show was even before my time; so for the younglings, it is simply, choose a number! World Sailing’s Sailing World Cup is an amalgam of the Titanic, U-99, the Wilhelm Gustloff, USS Arizona, and Exxon Valdez, let alone all the container ships dropping ‘presents’ over the side the world over right now.

So if it is finally scuttled, and in the depths forever more, then perhaps we can finally look to a brighter side. Over time, the Euro season has become ‘the’ place for the Olympic Classes. Now perhaps our very own Women’s 470 crew will get Ruslana Taran, currently on a short-term contract to coach them in Europe, to be with them permanently. The links are firstly one Victor Kovalenko, who coached her to Bronze in the same class in 1996 and 2000. In 2004 she collected Silver in Yngling at Athens. Taran then coached Rike Belcher (nee Ziegelmayer) to London 2012. It is said that the sailors love her, and it is understood Mat Belcher has already taught her to say ‘Gidday’, so here’s hoping…

Moving on, and on the back of the Tasman Project, which itself could well be enough to attract the Northerners downunder, one wonders if a selection of World Championships over the Summer of 2019/20 could be a marvellous segue into the 2020 Olympics at Tokyo? Imagine then if it was more like 1999, where the various Classes were dotted around Melbourne’s Port Phillip over a period of a couple of months? Yes, imagine that. What a good idea!!! Wonder who thought of it?

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