Sail Mooloolaba 2014 dates announced

by Tracey Johnstone on 22 Nov 2013 Sail Mooloolaba 2014 is being held from 5th June through to 6th July. Australian sailors are invited to take off June 2014 for the regatta and run away to the winter-warm Sunshine Coast where they can sail on and with whatever they like.

The month-long regatta comprises eight individual events which are gathered under the one banner – Sail Mooloolaba, Celebrate Sailing! Those events are Etchells Australasian Winter Championship, Sports Boats Winter Nationals and SB20 National Championship, Open Match Racing, Yacht and Multihull event, Radio Controlled Yachts, Combined Clubs Fun Sail, Schools Match Racing and Off the Beach event.

Event chairman, Darren Spence, is working hard on the 2014 event to make it bigger and better than previous years. 'All the sailing clubs on the Sunshine Coast are working together to make Sail Mooloolaba a true sailing enthusiast’s event. There is really something for every age and competition level. We have a great history to build on and with something on every weekend over the length of Sail Mooloolaba, the Sunshine Coast will be the real winner. Get off the couch and come for a sail,' Spence said.

The 2014 Etchells Australasian Winter Championship is an annual class competition which has been running consecutively for 17 years. In 2014 it will be held from fifth to 8th June.

The racing is fierce as the international fleet vie for the one trophy that has never been successful defended. America’s Cup, Olympic and World Champion sailors regularly return to the Etchells class to get their fill of outstanding one-design competition. The winter event is considered one of the must-attend events on the Etchells class calendar.

The second annual Sports Boat Winter Nationals will be held from 13th to 15th June. This year there was a record 27 boats so the target is for that number and more. After talking with the fleet at the end of this year’s racing, next year’s event will be extended to three days of racing.

The SB20s will have their own fleet next year as they will be using Sail Mooloolaba for their National Championship.

Open Match Racing is a new event to Sail Mooloolaba. Since Mooloolaba Yacht Club purchased four Elliott 6s, Match Racing events have become a popular addition to the local sailing calendar. The Open Match Racing will be held on the weekend of 21st and 22nd June. Invitations will be extended to teams from inter-state, New Zealand and New Caledonia.

On the following weekend of 28th and 29th June the big boats get to come out and play. Monohulls and multihulls will be invited to race on passage and windward/leeward courses. The event will be open to cruising spinnaker, cruising non-spinnaker, IRC and Trailable boats.

Mid-week the radio controlled yachts are on the river in front of The Wharf Tavern Mooloolaba for a lively afternoon of racing on Tuesday 1st July. Entry is open to anyone with an 10M class yacht. This is a very popular event for the sailors and visitors as they enjoy the ambiance of the Tavern and the chatter of the ‘thumb’ sailors battling it out over up to 12 races.

By Wednesday 2nd July it’s time to head back out on Mooloolaba Bay for a gentle Combined Clubs afternoon fun sail. No spinnakers, no shouting and no end of fun.

The busy week ends with the Schools Match Racing Championship on third and 4th July. Next year the event will be run using the Mooloolaba Yacht Club’s Elliott 6s and held on the river at Mooloolaba in front of The Wharf where friends and spectators will be able to hear and see all the action.

The final event of Sail Mooloolaba 2014 is the Off the Beach event on the weekend of fifth and 6th July. Event organiser, Maroochy Sailing Club, expect at least 30 of their club’s boats to be racing while Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club will bring another 20 boats down from Noosa River to race at Mooloolaba.

Racing will be on Mooloolaba Bay for 420s, 505s, A Class Cats, Contenders, Hobie 16s, Laser, Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial, Optimist, Pacer, Cadet and Sabot. The Optimist Green, Cadet and Sabot fleet will again race on the river in close proximity to The Wharf Mooloolaba.

Sail Mooloolaba has been running for four years. The month-long celebration of sailing is organised by a committee made up of Sunshine Coast sailing groups – Mooloolaba Etchells Fleet, Mooloolaba Yacht Club, Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club, Sunshine Coast Yacht Club, Club Kawana Radio Controlled Club, Australian Sports Boat Association and Maroochy Sailing Club.

The Notice of Race for each event will be available in January 2014. For more event information visit the Sail Mooloolaba website.