Last chance to win a Laser...

by Nancy Knudsen, Cruising Editor on 24 Sep 2009

View of the Opera House when a dust storm hits Sydney Harbour, 23 September 2009. Photo by Janet Kavanagh SW

Have you entered the competition to win a LASER yet? All you have to do is answer 22 quick questions, and you'll be in there with a chance - click http://www.laser-sailing.net/sweepstakes_form.cfm?SSid=32!here to enter.

Were you sailing yesterday? Here's a photo of the Opera House, but do you have any other sailing photos during the dust storm? We'd love to receive them!

The forming of the ProTECTS Alliance must be the biggest news of the week. Today, when one sets off an EPIRB, it's one way only communication. If that technology can be changed from one-way to two-way, so that it will more resemble current emergency communications by radio, it will be a great boon to the sailing fraternity. Read Liz DeCastro's summation of the project.

Read about the excellent course coming up at the Cruising Yacht Club in Sydney - Medical Management for Mariners - the kind of course you hope you'll never need, but you'll go to sea more confident.

Much is going on out there on the world's oceans – vivid tales from another yacht that has just transited the North West Passage, and at the other end of the scale, Michael Matthews had me falling off my chair with his description of his first – and last – ocean crossing.

'The Girls' – that is, the would-be circumnavigating teens - are in the news again, with Jessica Watson just about to re-start her adventure after the Gold Coast rallied around to repair her yacht free, and Abby Sunderland still looking for money for hers.

Speaking about collisions, we start a four-part series this week on the issues for yachties when meeting a large vessel at sea, and how to give yourself the best chance of avoiding getting anywhere near a ship, with lots of advice coming from Ship Captains.

There's a great article on Ropes by Mark Cherrington, and some wonderful tales – and pictures – of life cruising Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

...much more too, so browse down the articles to see what interests YOU.

Sweet sailing!
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