Australia Day in the Volvo Ocean Race,Festival of Sail, Miami and more
by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 27 Jan 2015
January, 2015. Leg 3 onboard Dongfeng Race Team. Pascal Bidgorry watches as the sunsets in the South China Sea Sam Greenfield / Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race Leg 3 - Australian Stacey Jackson was very excited about today. No, it’s not because it’s the final full day at sea for Team SCA on the long Abu Dhabi Volvo Ocean Race Leg three.
Australia Day, as we all know, is a national Australian holiday celebrating the day Australia was settled by Captain James Cook in 1770.
Capt. Cook literally ran into Australia—when he was sailing along the coast. The day is typically celebrated with sausage and prawns on the BBQ. A few cold beers, and a game of backyard cricket with mates. Stacey’s favourite part of Australia Day is the Lamingtons cake—a traditional sponge cake with chocolate and coconut.
To celebrate on board, Stacey brought a few goodies including an Australian umbrella hat, a wrist sweat band for the grinder, and a head sweat-band for the helmswoman (both Australian themed). Unfortunately the umbrella hat to a small gust, but possibly a lucky fisherman will find the hat.
There’s also a secret stash of Tim-Tams on the boat and the crew was eagerly awaiting their reveal.
Up ahead China's Volvo Ocean Racer Dongfeng is just hours away from a historic win, the first Chinese boat to win a VOR leg and the first Chinese boat to lead the series.
Knut Frostad, the VOR CEO talked exclusively to Sail-World about the importance of this win.
Another interesting Geelong Week Festival of Sail, smaller than when it was in its heyday, with Doug Jarvis at the helm ad with Skandia backing, at one stage it was half the size of Britain's famous Cowes Week, but no more.
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami - Bigger than ever in 2015, with an atmosphere crackling with adrenaline, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, was ground zero on Sunday as competitors from 63 countries made their final preparations.
US Sailing’s premiere event brings together a who’s who of Olympic and Paralympic talent. Six days of racing will test them and leave them judged. Australia’s 2012 Olympic Gold medallist and King of 470’s Mat Belcher, summed up that experience by saying simply that being on that racecourse, with that fleet, 'was essential.' Essential, that is, to anyone who hopes to be standing on a podium in Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Olympic Games.
We have great images of the weekends Classic 18 footers on Sydney Harbour and lots more Oz and world sailing news.
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