Volvos closing on Auckland, Sydney Harbour Regatta and Laser Masters

Groupama Sailing Team caught in the doldrums at night during leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Sanya, China to Auckland, New Zealand. (Credit: Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race)  Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team © /Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is heading for Auckland, Kiwis Ben and Richard Gladwell and also Jeni Bone from Marine Business-World will be reporting for Sail-World.

Navigator Will Oxley keeps a direct eye on things passing through the Solomon Islands onboard CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand during leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Sanya, China to Auckland, New Zealand. (Credit: Hamish Hooper/CAMPER ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race)  Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race©

A big weekend ahead with the Helly Hansen Sydney Harbour regatta and the start of the 2012 Laser Masters World Championship at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

Sail-World will be on Moreton Bay all next week with the Lasers.

Volvo Ocean Race: Light winds or not for race finish? Richard Gladwell, Wednesday morning at 1000hrs, Sail-World ran a further prediction on the finish time for Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race, following a change in the situation which developed 12 hours earlier. Using up to four wind and weather feeds in the routing function of www.predictwind.com!Predictwind, there are two models facing the race navigators.... [more] Share this story

New for Brisbane - Rivergate International Boat Show Jeni Bone, Brisbanites who love the boating lifestyle won't have to travel far this year to see what's new on water. Brisbane is to welcome a new boat show to the ranks of major marine showcases, with the anticipated launch of the Rivergate International Boat Show in October 2012.... [more] Share this story

Old salt looking for another Brisbane to Gladstone win Ian Grant, Caloundra ‘Old Salt' Bob Robertson would dearly love to win another Brisbane to Gladstone race before he dries out his sea salt encrusted sea boots. During his three decades of ocean racing the well-known Sunshine Coast owner/skipper has flown his ‘battle flag' in numerous coastal classics including the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Sydney to Mooloolaba, Sydney to Gold Coast and the Brisbane to Gladstone... [more] Share this story

Congressional Cup - Williams to defend title Rich Roberts, The Long Beach Yacht Club's 48th Congressional Cup is set to take place from 27-31 March with the world's number one match racer, Ian Williams of the UK, returning to defend his crown - though he will not be the only sailing celebrity on the boat.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Hang on for the bumpy ride Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Ocean Race's remaining 1,000 nautical mile stretch of Leg 4 is proving to be a see-saw ride with small gains and miserable losses spreading right across the five boats chasing clear leaders Groupama. Although the runway to the Auckland finish is becoming shorter by the minute and while there seems to be no stopping the French at present, Groupama 4's skipper Franck Cammas is cautious.... [more] Share this story

BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival - Hot racing Trish Jenkins, BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival - With less than one month to go a truly international cast is making ready to take centre stage in the beautiful sailing grounds of the British Virgin Islands. Well over 500 competitors are expected to enjoy some hot racing and fabulous shoreside entertainment.... [more] Share this story

New structure for RS International Class Associations launched Martin Wadhams, RS International Class Associations new structure has just been launched to support the fast growth of RS boats around the world and enable RS sailors everywhere to join their International Association. The RS Tera and RS Feva have enjoyed international Class structures for some time, so this relates to the other racing dinghy classes.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Groupama 4 increase lead Franck Cammas, Volvo Ocean Race - Though Groupama 4 has been able to extend her lead over the past 24 hours, part of the weather situation between New Caledonia and New Zealand is coloured by doubt. Indeed the light airs offshore of Auckland could cause the fleet to bunch up again. The ETA is reckoned to be between noon on Friday and Saturday night UTC.... [more] Share this story

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Close encounters Heather Ewing, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Gold Coast Australia has pulled ahead of the tightly packed fleet. The ten yachts are still roughly in a line running north east to south west as they race through the East China Sea towards the southern tip of Japan and the open Pacific Ocean.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Puma's Mar Mostro prepared Amory Ross, Volvo Ocean Race - Amory Ross, MCM for Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, reports on the crew's progress: We have a strap that we tie from one end of the galley entrance to the other. It's a preventer so that when upwind sailing is at it's worst and you're tucked inside cooking on the high side, you don't risk losing your grip on the boat and falling all the way to leeward.... [more] Share this story

Club Marine Series images by Alex McKinnon Alex McKinnon images, Images from Melbourne photographer Alex McKinnon of the 3rd March Club Marine Series 3.... [more] Share this story

Wired crushes the Auckland keelboat fleet again Sail-World, The Bakewell-White 52'Wired' underlined her current dominance of the Auckland keelboat fleet with another crushing performance in the Balokovic Cup race, sailed in late February. Rob Bassett and Brett Russell and their crew started the season with a clean sweep of the 120nm Coastal Classic taking line honours and a first on PHRF and IRC.... [more] Share this story

Babbage and McCallister win close battle for NSW 505 title Shane Guanaria, The 2011/2012 NSW 505 State Championships were hosted by Toronto Sailing Club. Three races were held on the Saturday with three different heat winners keeping the points close.... [more] Share this story

Pittwater Multihull Rendezvous 2012 - Last chance to join the fun Kate Elkington, Entries are filling fast for the 2012 Pittwater Multihull Rendezvous from 17-18 March, but spots are still available to join this superb weekend of sailing and social action. Hosted and organised by Multihull Solutions, this year's event also includes a special St Patrick's Day party on Saturday 17 March.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Will the French lose out? Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Ocean Race - Can leg leader Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) cling onto the lead or will the French lose their precious gains made over the last 15 days? The fleet is converging and the French team's lead has been up and down like a yoyo for much of today, dropping to a frightening 53 nautical miles at 1000 UTC, before steadily climbing to a healthy 83.7 nm over Puma Ocean Racing... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Puma's Mar Mostro take high and slow road Amory Ross, Volvo Ocean Race - Amory Ross, MCM for Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, reports on the crew's progress: God it's hot. We're back to 'suffering the simmering' onboard Mar Mostro, and we were joking that we should fill one of the bow chambers with water to make our own hot tub.... [more] Share this story

Inaugural MC 38 One Design Australian Championship announced Ellen Pragnell-Raasch, McConaghy Boats has announced the inaugural MC 38 Australian Championship which is set to take place in Pittwater, Sydney this October. The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is home to the first three MC 38s in Sydney and is very excited to be hosting the event.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: Saturday party, Sunday finish predicted for Leg 4 Richard Gladwell, The latest projection of the finish time for Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean race is being put at the early hours of Sunday morning. Ideal for the Auckland party set at the Viaduct harbour. The top three places would seem to be locked in, with Groupamaprojected to be first to finish, by both weather feeds used by PredictWind. She is variously four and six hours ahead of the second placed boat Puma... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race Auckland Stopover News 13 - The man at the helm VOR Auckland Stopover, The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has finished Leg 3 in Sanya (China), and are gearing up for the nest leg to Auckland. Read the latest news here on the Auckland Stopover It's now just 5 days to go until the fleet is scheduled to arrive in Auckland and our e-newsletter Event HQ brings you the latest news from the Race, the Auckland Stopover and the Race Village.... [more] Share this story

Etchells Australasian Winter Championship – Entry now open Tracey Johnstone, Etchells Australasian Winter Championship – Notice of Race and online entry system have been published and are available online. The event is into its 16th consecutive year and retains its unique status of no one skipper successfully defending their Winters title, even though many have tried.... [more] Share this story

Spit Bridge NSW closure to marine traffic postponed Neil Patchett, Please be advised that due to a delay in delivering components required to upgrade the Spit Bridge (NSW) drive system, the planned fourteen day period when the bridge will not open to marine traffic has been postponed by two weeks and will now occur from Monday 30 April to Sunday 13 May 2012, inclusive... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race: Auckland amps up as Race Village opening nears Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Ocean Race fever is sweeping through Auckland as the city prepares for the opening of the Race Village on Thursday and the imminent arrival of the six-strong fleet. The Race Village, at Viaduct Harbour, will throw open its doors to the public at 9am on Thursday, kicking off 10 days of celebrations marking the Volvo Ocean Race's return to the City of Sails and the completion of Leg 4.... [more] Share this story

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