Moth World Champion Josh McKnight set for Heaven Can Wait Regatta

by Heaven Can Wait Media on 14 Sep 2012 The newly crowned Moth World Champion Josh McKnight will be racing his Flying Hellfish powered by Easy Tiger Racing in the One Lap Dash in the seventh annual Heaven Can Wait regatta.

McKnight, who sailed in the event in 2011, is keen to break the Lake Macquarie One Lap Dash race record currently held by 2012 Olympic 49er Gold Medallist and 2011 Moth World Champion Nathan Outteridge.

Outteridge's record of 2 hours seven minutes and 31 seconds was set in 2010. During that record he capsized eleven times in strong conditions. With at least six Moths likely to be amongst the One Lap Dash fleet, wind speeds beyond 15-18 knots could certainly allow the high tech foiling machines driven by McKnight and the Worlds second placed Scott Babbage, who won the Heaven Can Wait One Design Moths battle in 2011 to threaten that record.

With the 2012 Heaven Can Wait Regatta just two weeks ago entries are surging in. Over the last 72 hours there have been a dozen new entries and organisers are expecting more than 50 boats to be on the start line

Run in conjunction with the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto, the 2012 Heaven Can Wait Regatta will be held on September 29-30, commencing at 11 am.

This year, the Heaven Can Wait (HCW) Regatta includes three events, with participants able to compete in one, two or all three. They are:

1. The full HCW 24 Hour Classic race from 11 am on September 29 to 11 am on September 30

2. The HCW One Lap Dash around the entire course, and also starting at 11 am on September 29, and finishing back at Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto during the afternoon

3. The new HCW 12 Hour Challenge, starting at 11 am on September 29, and finishing at 11 pm that night.

All three events are over the same course (although there is a shorter version of the One Lap Dash for trailer-sailers who are not doing the 12 hour or 24 hour races.

As with the 24-hour Classic, the 12-hour Challenge is a 'distance over time' event, with competitors logging their positions using their on-board GPS as of 11 pm, and reporting it to the race committee.

Both the 24-hour and 12-hour races will require boats to comply with YA Cat 5N safety standards, while the One Lap Dash is a Cat 7 event.

As in past years, it raises funds for men's cancer research and support programs, with all monies raised through entries going to the Cancer Council of NSW, plus an amount to Marine Rescue NSW.

The Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto, which is hosting the event, can arrange moorings for boats coming from outside of the lake. Further information on this is available from the event's website.

For further information on the 2012 Heaven Can Wait charity regatta, please go towww.heavencanwait.com.au. To enter, simply click on the ENTER HERE button.