18 footers, 2020 Olympics, Dinghy Sales, AC video, SW Toolbar and more

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World team on 15 Feb 2013 The start of the 18 footers World Championship 2012, the seven race JJ Gillian Trophy series tomorrow with a big fleet of 31 boats, including the biggest contingent of Kiwis in many years, as well as British and US crews.

Sail-World´s coverage of this year´s event, will be more detailed than ever, we will have four video cameras on one boat in the fleet, just to add another perspective.

A tricky day ahead for Saturday on Sydney Harbour with light and variable winds which might build before the 4pm start while Sunday a 10-15 knot easterly is expected.

So not too much crash and burn expected for the start of the series but the weekend results could be just as variable as the weather and today´s practice race win by the Kiwis on C-Tech ahead of the rapidly repaired Gotta Luv it 7, points to a great series ahead..

Sharing the harbour this weekend will be the Australian Farr 40 class racing in their penultimate event of their 2012-2013 season, the Aberdeen Asset Management NSW State Titles.

Emirates Team NZ's first day of sailing in their new second generation AC72, Aotearoa, on a light summer's day on the Hauraki Gulf

Before she sailed Grant Dalton said 'The temptation today is just to go out and send it straight away and get her up on the foils. Although that is the temptation, that is not the way we are going to run it today.

We are going to systematically load the boat, and take a few days to get to that stage. But it is really tempting to go out and send it and send a message. But we aren't going to do that today.'

So what do we have on the Day One Video? Foiling Kiwis of course!! Onya Dalts!!

Sailing seems set for 2020 Olympics at least with the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have included it in the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.


A shock for wresting excluded from the core, it will now join seven shortlisted sports – baseball-softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu - vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.

Some bargains for dinghy sailors with the NB Sailsports and PSA End of Season Sale will run over NEXT weekend 23-24 February at the NB Central Coast shop at Somersby from 10am - 4pm both days. This sale is one not to miss!! Everything priced to sell with massive savings to be had on a large range of used Lasers rigged ready to race, packaged with new; ropes, blocks, tillers and sail plus a range of older used boats as cheap as $1500.

NB also have five new and two used 29ers, one new and two used Tasars and 12 Optimists in stock to choose from and there will be 25% off all Zhik, SEA and Neilpryde clothing. London 2012 Australian Olympic Laser Radial Coach and now NB Sailsports General manager, Laura (Baldwin) Caldecoat will be available over the weekend to give tips and advice.














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