Clinking medals - the A-Cat fleet lines up

We have Sydney Hobart dramas, oh and they are sailing too -There are still around 50 boats due in, below is a shot taken of Jessica Watson and her Ella Bache crew in the Derwent, just a few minutes ago.

Jessica Watson and her Ella Bache crew coming up the Derwent River  Crosbie Lorimer

We have reports on the Heemskirk East Coaster and Westcoaster, there has been a lot happening there.

And the news of the amazing field for the upcoming John Cootes Furniture A-Cat Australian Championships and lots of news from Nationals around Australia - from Lasers to Sabots and more.

After six weeks at regattas and races it will be great to be home in the Watagan Mountains this weekend.

On Monday we have the practice race for the 2012 A-Cat Nationals on our local pond, Lake Macquarie and on Tuesday around noon if you go outside and cup your ear, you may hear the sound of World Championship and Olympic medals clinking as possibly the world's best ever National event fleet faces the starter. Yes we will be there to bring you the news, the pix and the interviews.

A Cat Worlds 2009, Lake Macquarie, NSW (Australia) - 2009 World Champion GLENN ASHBY  Andrea Francolini ©

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Click on the link Submit News and Pix and follow the instructions and don't forget the URL of your website or event as we provide a live hyperlink back to your site.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011 - Loki wins Tattersalls Cup Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team, Stephen Ainsworth's Reichel Pugh 63 Loki will today be declared the Overall Handicap winner of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Second in Division 1 and second overall will be Michael Hiatt's Farr 55 Living Doll and third place will go to 42 Sydney Hobart veteran Syd Fischer's modified TP52Ragamuffin. Ragamuffin will also be the ORCi handicap overall Sydney Hobart winner.... [more] Share this story

ORCV Eastcoaster - Double win to Gusto John Curnow, Heemskirk Eastcoaster 2011, the 460 nautical mile race from Melbourne to Hobart, has been won by Gusto who is the first boat to ever win the ORCV's pair of races to Hobart. Well done Brian Pattinson and crew on a spectacular achievement.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011 - Nothing accidental about Loki's win Lisa Ratcliff, It took Sydney-based Stephen Ainsworth 14 years to claim the elusive Tattersall's Cup, and as he put it so succinctly, 'it was a big box to tick'.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart - Humour and a long night Bruce Montgomery, The windless night also destroyed all prospects of Roger Hickman's Wild Rose reaching Hobart in time to displace Stephen Ainsworth's Loki as the overall winner of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.... [more] Share this story

Tassie Trio Westcoaster - Line honours to eXtasea John Curnow, eXtasea, skippered by ORCV Committee Member, Paul Buchholz, has taken Line Honours in the 40th running of the mighty Heemskirk Westcoaster... [more] Share this story

Cockburn Sound Regatta hots up on day 2 Bernie Kaaks, On day two of the Cockburn Sound Regatta, there were scores of red faced sailors coming ashore after racing that bore testament to the brutal conditions as light winds and near 40-degree temperatures took their toll. Brian Todd's Marten 49 Sue Sea recovered from a threatened protest today by returning to re-round a mark she had left on the wrong hand, to record another fastest time in division 1... [more] Share this story

Global Ocean Race - Leaders approaching Wellington Oliver Dewar, In the Global Ocean Race's 21:00 GMT position poll, Conrad Colman and Sam Goodchild are leading the fleet to the Leg 2 finish line on Cessna Citation averaging 9.7 knots in Cook Strait with just 54 miles remaining, while Ross and Campbell Field on BSL in second place, are in the Karamea Bight, south of Cape Farewell, averaging 5.4 knots with 134 miles of Leg 2 remaining.... [more] Share this story

Clipper Round the World - Dramatic race 7 start includes sinking yacht Lisa Blair, Lisa Blair is sailing on Gold Coast Australia sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Lisa's says 'When the rest of the world was busy making preparations on Christmas eve, the crew on board Gold Coast Australia were saying sad farewells to friends and family as they made preparations to set sail from the Gold Coast.'... [more] Share this story

Clipper Round the World Race – Gold Coast Australia cross Scoring Gate Heather Ewing, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – The route for race seven is a complicated one. In addition to the challenges of Tropical Cyclones and the energy sapping heat there are many reefs and islands to contend with and the Race Committee has included in the course instructions a number of compulsory gates to keep the fleet away from navigation hazards.... [more] Share this story

Australian Laser National Championship - Heavy conditions on day 1 Clare Murray, Australian Laser Championship 2012 - Ashley Brunning won both full rig heats on the first day of racing. 'Conditions were really good today. It was a pretty steady gradient breeze but there were a few shifts that got thrown in there which surprised me,' said Brunning. 'It felt like I had good speed coming out of the worlds. I was pretty confident and I got two wins today which was great.'... [more] Share this story

Jules Verne Trophy - Banque Populaire V view unusual things Brian Thompson, Jules Verne Trophy record attempt, Day 35. Brian Thompson onboard Banque Populaire V reports on the progress being made: We are getting up the South Atlantic even faster than we hoped. We are past the first high pressure to the West, and we went through a stationary front off Rio last night, and are now sailing around the final giant weather system until the doldrums... [more] Share this story

Optimists: Great finish for Singapore at Harken Invitational Regatta Nathalie van Dort, Day 2 in the Harken Invitation Regatta was characterised by shifty winds delaying racing. The regatta is a precursor to the 2011 Optimist Worlds being staged at Napier, on the east coast of New Zealand. Although racing started late, two races with each of the three fleets were held and allowed organisers to complete the regatta with a successful day's sailing.... [more] Share this story

Launceston to Hobart Race: Masquerade 11 years in the making now a win Peter Campbell, Race director John Blackman said that although 13 of the 31 starters in the 285 nautical mile race around the Tasmania's eastern coastline from the Tamar River to the River Derwent still had to finish, Masquerade's position could be not challenged.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011 ORCi versus IRC as handicap rule Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team, Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011 – tomorrow the handicap winner for this year's race will probably be decided. The overall IRC handicap rating winner will receive the prestigious Tattersalls Cup and there will be IRC results for 72 boats across four divisions. At the same time, there will be another set of handicap results for yachts sailing under the ORCi handicap rating, 38 boats in three divisions.... [more] Share this story

Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin responds to Brigitte Bardot distress call Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sea Shepherd scout vessel Brigitte Bardot was struck by a rogue wave that has cracked the hull. The Brigitte Bardot is at 51 degrees 42 minutes South and 99 Degrees 21 minutes East or 1500 miles southwest of Fremantle, Western Australia.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart - Loyal's victory secret revealed Crosbie Lorimer, Talking with Loyal's boat captain and crew boss Peter 'Billy' Merrington aboard the boat, moments after the International Jury dismissed the protest and I'm asking Billy what were the winning moves. He starts to explain that it was a year's worth of planning to make sure that they had the right skills for each phase of the race.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart images of Line Honours Trophy presentation Crosbie Lorimer images, With the protest dismissed early this afternoon, the ceberations for the Loyal team can begin. Owner Anthony Bell was presented with J H Illingworth Trophy on the dockside podium at 2.30 this afternoon. Crosbie Lorimer was there to capture the moment.... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart - Race Commitee v Investec Loyal - Facts Found Sail-World, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Race Commitee v Investec Loyal - Facts Found - the official document from the International Jury... [more] Share this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: Loyal Investec decision announced + Video Sail-World, An emotional Anthony Bell, skipper of Investec Loyal, has just announced the decision of the International Jury to a media gathering at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania... [more] Share this story

18ft Skiffs - Injury keeps 'Woody' off the water Frank Quealey, Sailor John ‘Woody' Winning has been racing 18ft Skiffs since 1976 (with a short break in the 1990s) and has rarely missed a race, but a recent injury looks as though it may keep him off the water until the Giltinan Championship in February.... [more] Share this story

Yngling Open Championships & Gold Cup day 2 - Consistency the key Jordan Reece, It was a picture perfect day on Sydney harbour on day 2 of the Yngling Open Championships & Youth Gold Cup. The day was no without its surprises; overnight leaders, the current European Champions on NED 328 were OCS in race 1 and with the black flag raised for the next start, they were disqualified from the opening race of the day.... [more] Share this story

A Class 2012 Australian Championship - an amazing field Bob Griffits & Rob Kothe, Australian A Class Championships – Until late this past week, it was touch and go with regards to whether or not the shipping container transporting six DNA A Class Catamarans from the Netherlands, would arrive in sufficient time for the 2012 John Cootes Furniture Australian A Class Championships which get underway January 3 at the Wangi Amateur Sailing Club.... [more] Share this story

ORC Rules for 2012 available online Offshore Racing Congress, ORC Rules 2012 - The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) have today, 28th December, announced its rules for 2012 are now available for download These rules include the International Measurement System (IMS), the ORC Rating Rules (ORC International and ORC Club), the 'Green Book' of ORC Championship Rules, GP Class Rules, the ORC Speed Guide, and ORC Stability and Hydrostatic Datasheet.... [more] Share this story

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