Sail-Melbourne starting today, while the event is smaller than usual because many sailors are practicing in Perth ahead of Perth 2011, there are some strong fields, the Lasers and Laser Radials, the 470's and 49ers will all be interesting to watch.

We've been talking to a lot of the Olympic class sailors, with 75% of the London 2012 country qualifications happening in Perth, that's going to be an intense regatta.

Back in 2007, the single event US Sailing Olympic selection trials delivered a blow to one US 470 Womens team, Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar. They finished second in that one regatta and missed out on their Olympic dream. They proved the US selection process was flawed by winning the World Championship at Sail Melbourne in January 2008.

We interviewed them on the beach, just after their win then and we have done so again now. Isabelle makes a very interesting comment about what helps keep women in sailing past their teens. Food for thought...

We are covering the Volvo Ocean Race in detail, (you may have noticed) with the video highlights of particular interest.

Lots of news, so we will standard aside and leave you to it.

The Sail-World Team

Volvo Ocean Race: Dramatic video from onboard dismasted Abu Dhabi Sail-World, Volvo Ocean Race have posted videos from the opening day of the 2011-12 race, including some dramatic video shot as night as Abu Dhabi's mast is cut away, and pulled onboard. Also includes the first 24 hours of the race, a summary of trhe start, and a look at the first 40 years of Round the World Racing... [more] Share this story

Perth 2011 - US Women's 470 – Maxwell and Farrar ‘In the Passing Lane' Shauna McGee Kinney, The US Women's 470 team of Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar are in the passing lane and aiming for the Olympics. The journey has been long and filled with great destinations, major decisions and success.... [more] Share this story

Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship preview Di Pearson, The Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC), is set to take place from the 26-27 November and reigning champions from multiple events have placed their bids to contest what will be the 34th edition of the race. This annual event will feature a showdown between some of the sport's heavy hitters.... [more] Share this story

Questionable Logic to take on Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Ian Grant, The personal ocean racing and endurance skills of Terry Archer will be challenged when he and the crew of Questionable Logic represent the Whitsunday Sailing Club in the 628n/ml Rolex Sydney Hobart Race which is set to begin on Boxing Day.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race update from Groupama 4 Welcome On Board, The crew aboard Groupama 4 are currently sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. We are now brought up to date on the team's progress. Around thirty miles from the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, Groupama 4 has taken a different option to her three rivals by dipping down towards the coast of Morocco, whilst the other VOR-70s are picking their way along the Costa Brava...... [more] Share this story

Third placed Class 40 loses keel in Transat Jacques Vabre Transat Jacques Vabre, Tanguy de Lamotte and Eric Peron suddenly lost their keel of their Class 40 Initiatives – Alex Olivier when they were lying in third place in the Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic race from Le Havre to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, some 450 miles to the west of La Coruna, Spain. At the time the boat was making around 12 to 14kts in a southerly wind of 25 to 30kts and confused seas.... [more] Share this story

Global Ocean Race Team Phesheya-Racing cross Leg 1 finish line Oliver Dewar, Global Ocean Race Leg 1 - At 13:45:10 GMT on Sunday 6 November, the South African, double-handed Class40 team of Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire crossed the finish line in Cape Town on Phesheya-Racing taking fifth place in the Class40 fleet after 42 days 45 minutes and 10 seconds of racing.... [more] Share this story

Transat Jacques Vabre – Class 40 fleet prepare for a wild night Hélène Tzara, Transat Jacques Vabre – While the co-skippers of the IMOCA Open 60 fleet were today taking the chance to build up their reserves of energy and rest in anticipation of a very active low pressure system which was set to test the fleet through Sunday night and Monday, in turn Class 40 competitors had tough conditions of their own and were also setting up for a wild night.... [more] Share this story

Melges 24 East Coast Championship victory for Bandit Tracey Walters, The Melges 24 East Coast Championships, which took place over two days and six exciting races, has resulted in victory for Bandit AUS 814 who claimed the title over Accru 679 by only a single point. The friendly rivalry between owners and training partners Warwick Rooklyn Bandit and Kevin Nixon Accru has a long history in 18ft skiffs.... [more] Share this story

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet head to New Zealand Heather Ewing, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2011-12 fleet have set sail from Geraldton, Western Australia bound for Tauranga, New Zealand on race five of the 15-race, 40,000-mile circumnavigation. The hooter sounded at 1330 local time and, with a flotilla of local spectator boats in attendance, the teams raced away from the start line... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: Team Sanya suffers hull damage and suspends racing Sail-World, Aksel Magdahl, navigator on board Team Sanya, reported at 0834 UTC Sunday, November 6 that they had suffered hull damage on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, which began yesterday in Alicante. Skipper Mike Sanderson has confirmed to Volvo Ocean Race control: 'The situation is very much under control, everyone is obviously disappointed but in good spirits as all are safe on board.'... [more] Share this story

ISAF Sailing World Cup - Belcher and Page prepare for Sail Melbourne Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, ISAF Sailing World Cup - Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page provide an update on their preparations for Sail Melbourne: It's been a little while since our last update. After a long and successful European season, we really enjoyed having a month completely away from Olympic Sailing. It's funny how different life is while campaigning, especially as we built up towards London 2012.... [more] Share this story

Go Sailing Day in Victoria - A great success Mike Sabey, Go Sailing Day - More than 30 Port Phillip and regional yacht clubs have enjoyed a bumper day, hosting thousands of would be Malcolm Page Olympic champions for this year's annual Victorian community event.... [more] Share this story

The Showdown – Spectacular racing on the Derwent Peter Campbell, The Showdown – They didn't win the major trophies, but Hobart's fleet of Farr 40s certainly turned on a spectacle of one-design racing yesterday. Voodoo Chile, helmed by Andrew Hunn, got the gun by just one second from POW, skippered by Craig Clifford, in the first race of the day, with a 16-18 knot northerly breeze giving the crews an exhilarating spinnaker run to the finish.... [more] Share this story

The Showdown - Testing conditions on the Derwent Peter Campbell, The Showdown - The young sailors in the Optimists, Sabots and International Cadets had testing conditions for their opening races day, with the NNW winds gusting to 25 knots. However, the breeze eased to 10-12 knots later in the morning, although freshening to 17 knots for the final race, giving a total of eight races over the days of intensive competition.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: Abu Dhabi hold media conference in Alicante Sail-World, Ian Walker, the skipper of Abu Dhabi, the Volvo 70 dismasted in the the opening hours of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race has just appeared in a media conference in Alicante to update on their situation with their broken spar, which is in three pieces.... [more] Share this story

18ft Skiffs 3-Buoys Challenge Series Race 4 - Difficult conditions Frank Quealey, 18ft Skiffs 3-Buoys Challenge Series - Appliancesonline.com.au became the fourth winner from as many races when she recorded a massive 3m41s win today. The Appliancesonline team of Micah Lane, Paul Montague and Tom Anderson were brilliant in very difficult conditions and virtually had the race won with one lap of the course still to be sailed.... [more] Share this story

The Showdown - Exhilarating sailing on the Derwent Peter Campbell, The Showdown - Bruce Rose, the three times Australian champion, has showed his class with a comfortable overall victory in the Paper Tiger catamaran class . This is the first time the Paper Tigers, which are based at Lauderdale YC, have competed in The Showdown and their presence, along with A-class, F18 and Taipans, added to the spectacle of the event... [more] Share this story

SOS Ocean Racing setting up another Round Australia record attempt Brendan Maxwell, Never one to sit still, SOS Ocean Racing's founder is at it again. Ian Thomson is keen to put together another Around Australia World Record attempt.... [more] Share this story

Malcolm Page joins sporting elite in AIS Hall of Fame Craig Heydon, Now joining Australia's sporting greats is Malcolm Page who has been named a part of the Australian Institute of Sport's ‘Best of the Best' Hall of Fame. Page's achievements on the water have been outstanding with the 470 class crew the reigning Olympic Gold medalist and the most successful 470 sailor in history following his five World Championship wins.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: Broken mast forces Abu Dhabi to suspend racing Sail-World, Volvo Ocean Race is reporting that the Ian Walker skippered Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Azzam has suffered a broken mast and had suspended racing on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, which began today in Alicante. Navigator Jules Salter told Volvo Ocean Race control that all the crew were unhurt and were attempting to recover what they could. 'There is no panic on board and we're plan... [more] Share this story

Transat Jacques Vabre - Three Multi 50s abandon racing Hélène Tzara, Transat Jacques Vabre - In 2009 after Actual capsized they were rescued and had to abandon. If last time he was left wondering at their misfortune, this morning the Actual skipper was perhaps slightly bewildered again. Three of their Multi 50 rivals – or half their division - headed for port with a series of different problems... [more] Share this story

Club Marine Series Round 2 - Lighter conditions John Curnow, Club Marine Series - Round Two could probably not have been more different to the first. Yes, around 120 vessels of varying sizes and styles came out to race in four divisions across the three categories - Australian Measurement System, Performance Handicap System and International Rule Club. Yes, they were spread over a large portion of the top of the Bay on two separate courses.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race crews announced for Leg 1 Volvo Ocean Race, The crews for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 have now been announced by each of the six teams competing. It was required for each of the teams to name their eleven sailors ahead of tomorrow's race start at 1400 local time (1300GMT) and they are....... [more] Share this story

Luderitz Speed Challenge - Testing a new canal Luderitz Speed Challenge, This year's Ludertiz Speed Challenge is the beginning of a great future for the windsurfing community. Both Sébastien Cattelan and Sophie Routaboul have planned to build a new playground for windsurfers since last year; and the new canal is proving to be the absolute weapon for them.... [more] Share this story

Introducing Tidal Chronoscope App for iPhone and Android ChronGlobal, A new app for Android and iPhone has been released from ChronGlobal called Tidal Chronoscope® that is slated to give the ability to know GPS Tide predictions as easily as the time. Designing this App came with one goal: Create an incredibly easy and simple way to instantly give you tide information at your very location at the touch of a screen, along with lunar and solar positions.... [more] Share this story

Sea Gear Super Cruisers at 2011/12 Laser Nationals Performance Sailcraft, With the Australian Laser Masters now being a separate event we have decided to bring back the 'Mighty' Cruiser divisions and have also added the new Super Cruiser divisions for both Laser Radial and STD rigs @ the 2011/12 Laser Nationals.... [more] Share this story

Festival of Sails - Big changes, NOR, and online entry AI Constable, The name has changed on many occasions since 1844 but, the Australia Day Regatta in Geelong has continuously been sailed for the past one hundred and sixty-eight years. In 1997, the Geelong Waterfront Festival and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club's historic Australia Day Regatta became the Festival of Sail.... [more] Share this story

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