Rally to Tasmania, Ocean sailed by laser, hostage tallship freed

Happy Christmas from the Sail-World Cruising team  .

Decided you'd like to go sailing for the coming holidays but haven't decided where? Why not consider joining the other boats setting off for Hobart - no, not the race, the Rally!

Sydney's Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is returning to its origins and running a Rendezvous Rally to Tasmania, and that's the best place to be sailing in summer. Cruisers, sensible sailors that they are, don't depart when there's a bomb threatening, and wait for good weather windows to cross Bass Strait. What are you waiting for?

Do you know a student who is dying to sail on a 'big boat'? The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club's Youth Program is going to give some lucky students the chance to do just that - read the story.

Spanning the oceans, we reported during week that Olympian sailor Andrew Lewis was to attempt a sail through open ocean between Trinidad and Tobago in his tiny Laser. Well, he did it, but chose a particularly windless day. It took him 11 hours and 52 minutes instead of the 6-7 hours he was planning. Read the story and update below. Well done Andrew!

Andrew Lewis sailing in wind he would have liked for the crossing  .. .

Another ocean adventurer, Chinese solo sailor Guo Chuan, has been having similar trouble getting across the Doldrums. Looking at the route he has chosen, he also will be having trouble with the Eastern Pacific Doldrums, known technically as the SPCZ, the South Pacific Convergence Zone, which extends the areas of no wind over a large area, something to watch for if setting off across the Pacific

ITCZ - but notice the SPCZ which could also cause him a problem passing the Solomons  .. .

There's a tall ship that hasn't been able to move for a while either, but not because of windless days. The Argentinian tall ship Libertad, along with a full crew and students has been held hostage for the last couple of months and Somali pirates were nowhere in sight. An international court has ordered it to be freed in the next few days. Read the extraordinary story below, and then watch Sail-World for updates.

Rally news this week is all about sailing the Atlantic Ocean. The 58 boats in the Salty Dawg Rally have arrived successfully and mostly happily in the British Virgin Islands (BVI's); the brand new Christmas Caribbean Rally has announced it will be departing from the charismatic island of Lanzarote in the Canaries; and the Iles des Soleil Rally which crosses the Atlantic but heads for the Amazon River in South America will also be choosing the island of volcanoes while visiting the Canaries.

Returning to the practical, John Jamieson has some sage advice on heavy weather sailing; the Book of the Week is 'The Art and Science of Yacht Design'; there's a new online directory for matching crew and boat owners; and the product of the week is something I would like to have myself onboard for when the boat's anemometer fails. Not knowing the wind strength on your boat is worse than not knowing which piece of gear is going to break next.

Sweet sailing, and here's wishing you a fantastic and Happy Christmas from the Sail-World Cruising team!

Hobart 2013 Rendezvous Cruise - still time to join David Champtaloup/Sail-World Cruising, There's nothing more idyllic than cruising Tasmania in full summer, and that what the members of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) are offering all boats interested in participating in the Hobart 2013 Rendezvous Cruise starting in January.... [more] Share this story

Marine Rescue NSW aims safe summer season, pushes for life jackets Ken McManus, The Marine Rescue NSW continues its drive to lessen boating casualties by urging boaters to wear life jackets before heading into the high seas. Boaters heading on to the water without a lifejacket are risking their safety this festive season, Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said today.... [more] Share this story

OceansWatch International - another good year in 2012 Sail-World Cruising, OceansWatch International is an organisation of cruising sailors who want to make a positive difference to the seas they sail and the island communities they visit. Their activities are usually centred on the islands of the South Pacific and the Atlantic, where they help with sustainable options for the communities and their ocean environment. Here is an update on their achievements for 201... [more] Share this story

Australian National Maritime Museum – cool summer fun at WetWorld Jude Timms, The Australian National Maritime Museum is offering kids the opportunity to enjoy and feel refreshed throughout the summer with a number of water activities and games lined up in its new outdoor family play area - WetWorld - which will officially open on December 28.... [more] Share this story

Argentinian tall ship set free by International Tribunal Des Ryan, Tall ships of today are known to have adventurous lives, but not many of them are held hostage in a foreign country along with all their crew and students. Argentinian tall ship Libertad has just been freed after two months held hostage by Ghana.... [more] Share this story

Product of the Week: Pocket-sized Turbo Meter Sail-World Cruising, Particularly when sailing remotely, redundancy is the key to successful cruising. Here's a natty pocket-sized tool which will contribute to your overall redundancy. If your wind instruments become damaged - even a bird can do it - it can require a trip up the mast to correct it. That's not a good thing in heavy weather, when knowing the wind speed is critical.... [more] Share this story

Chinese solo sailor caught in the Doldrums Sail-World Cruising, What's disturbing a Chinese solo sailor attempting to sail a circumnavigation of the world non-stop and unassisted in a Class 40 racing boat, is not gales or cyclones, but no wind - or little wind - at all, according to his land-based support team.... [more] Share this story

Royal Prince Alfred YC Youth program to offer offshore experience Lisa Ratcliff/Sail-World Cruising, No matter what your ambitions in sailing, there's nothing like experience on 'big boats' to give you a taste of the adrenaline that often accompanies ocean sailing. The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is taking its youth development program to another level for seven selected students composed of high school and university students and will undergo training under the tutelage of seasoned sailors.... [more] Share this story

First Australian Helia 44 to arrive in March Multihull Solutions/Sail-World, The size and space of a catamaran per foot of length is dramatically larger when compared to the size and space of a monohull, so the first Helia 44 to arrive in Australia is a seriously large cruising boat.... [more] Share this story

Preparing for heavy sailing weather before it arrives! John Jamieson/Sail-World Cruising, Safety and preparation go hand-in-hand for heavy weather. Crew, topsides, and below decks need to be readied if you suspect a blow in the offing. Even if it never develops, you will have the peace-of-mind that you, your crew and small sailboat are well prepared for what may come your way.... [more] Share this story

Connecting boat owners and crew - new online directory Lee Mylchreest, Want to go ocean sailing but don't have a boat? - don't know anyone with a boat sailing when and where you want to? Or maybe you're ready to cross an ocean, but are lacking crew? Here's a new online directory put out by the people with oceans of experience and a huge network of crew and boat owners: World Cruising Club, the operators of the ARC and many other ocean rallies.... [more] Share this story

Sydney Harbour Summer aquatic events guide now available Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay, Roads and Maritime Services Acting General Manager Maritime Operations Trevor Williams today announced a free safety guide on the key aquatic events to be held on Sydney Harbour over summer 2012-13 is available for boaters and spectators.... [more] Share this story

AMVER to the rescue - two Canadian sailors rescued off Bermuda AMVER/Sail-World Cruising, AMVER (The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System) is at it again. Two Canadian sailors are safely aboard the Amver participating ship SMT Bontrup after requiring medical evacuation from their 34 foot sloop 260 miles northwest of Bermuda this week.... [more] Share this story

Celebrating 30 years Freedom of the Seas Sail-World Cruising, We all take it for granted, but our ability to sail the seven seas could be compromised by now if it weren't for United Nations actions just 30 years ago this week. 10th December 2012 marked the the thirtieth anniversary of the opening for signature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).... [more] Share this story

Book of the Week: The Art and Science of Yacht Design Henry J Cooney, For that yachting enthusiast for whom you just can't find the right gift (and that might be yourself), here's a timely suggestion, 'The Art and Science of Yacht Design', by Martin Black, who spent 20 years researching the the life of an amazing, but largely forgotten, yacht desiger. Here read the synopsis by Henry J Cooney:.... [more] Share this story

A French Connection for the Christmas Caribbean Rally Mikaela Miek/Sail-World Cruising, The Sailing Rallies team promoting the 2013 Christmas Caribbean Rally were received enthusiastically when they attended the Salon Nautique (International Paris Boat Show) with the Canary Islands tourist board. They were promoting the fact that the destination for the Christmas Caribbean Rally will be the Caribbean gateway of Antigua in the Caribbean after a stepping-off point in the Canaries.... [more] Share this story

Oceanis 55 makes a stunning debut at the Paris Boat Show Creating Demand, Regarded as offering ‘a new lifestyle at sea', the stunning new Oceanis 55 was the star of opening night at the Nautic Paris Boat Show.... [more] Share this story

Tobago to Trinidad in a 14ft Laser Nancy Knudsen, Just when you think that all the records have been set, when everybody has conquered almost everything in the world of the cruising sailor - the oldest - the youngest - the first-ever, along comes another, because there's always some new remote first-ever that hasn't yet been done. This time it's sailing a 14ft Laser from Tobago to Trinidad in open seas off the north-east coastline of Venezuela.... [more] Share this story

Ocean Cruising preparation - the London Boat Show Sail-World Cruising, It's aimed at those starting their cruising in Europe, but if you can make it to London in January, and if ever you wanted to step off the coastal cliff and go ocean sailing, the place to be to learn comprehensively is at the London Boat Show in January.... [more] Share this story

Bob Katter opposes Broadwater site for GC cruise ship terminal Media Services, Federal member for Kennedy, Queensland senator, Bob Katter delivered a press conference on The Spit on Monday 17 December 2012, launching a fervent campaign to stop the Broadwater Marine Project proposed by Premier Campbell Newman and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.... [more] Share this story

Marine13 – programmed to inspire Marine13, Marine13 is shaping up to be the most important business-to-business event for the marine industry in Australia and the SE Asia/SW Pacific region in 2013.... [more] Share this story

An Australian first in lighting for AMW Errol Cain, Australian Marine Wholesale, Australian Marine Wholesale is proud to be the Australian importer of the Lumitec range of lighting including the latest series of marine lighting from the sixth fastest growing manufacturing company in the United States, according to Inc. magazine's 500 fastest-growing private companies.... [more] Share this story

FLIR Systems announces new warranty policy for maritime handhelds FLIR Systems, Thermal imaging cameras are being used by a rapidly increasing number of people in a variety of applications. They are widely used for security and surveillance, maritime, automotive, predictive maintenance, R&D, machine vision and many more applications. Once purchased a thermal imaging camera quickly becomes a vital piece of equipment.... [more] Share this story

If you liked this newsletter, do nothing, we will send you another ..
 Naa, please don't send me another.