Swansea Channel fine for 2010 Heaven Can Wait race- latest charts

by HCW Media on 7 Sep 2010 The latest hydrographic survey charts of the Swansea Channel entrance to Lake Macquarie, published by Maritime NSW, indicate boats sailing up or down the NSW coast should have much less trouble entering the lake to participate in this year’s Heaven Can Wait 24 Hour Charity Yacht Race.

The Heaven Can Wait (HCW) race, which will be held on October 2-3, 2010 (NSW’s Labour Day long weekend), raises money for cancer research and support programs. Last year it raised nearly $23,000 in donations. Participants sail around Lake Macquarie as many times as they can over 24 hours.

A major dredging program took place in the channel during the 2009-10 summer, to overcome severe silting that had restricted access to the lake for boats with drafts of two metres and above.

The latest Maritime NSW’s hydrographic charts show that depths in the channel leading to the lake are significantly greater, which means even quite large boats will be able to access the lake this year. The charts are viewable here:

http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/docs/maps/Swansea_Bridge_to_Pelican_June2010.pdf

and here

http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/docs/maps/Pelican_to_Marks_Pt_June2010.pdf.

There is not expected to be any significant channel silting in the three months before the race is held.

Heaven Can Wait Yacht Club Commodore, and race founder, Shaun Lewicki, said that the recent dredging program meant the race would be significantly more attractive to out-of-lake boats who have to come up the coast from Sydney.

'Last year, we missed out on participation from quite a number of yachts who decided not to take their chances with the channel,' he said.

'Happily, the NSW Government’s $350,000 emergency dredging program has overcome this problem for 2010 and that is a major step forward for as there are hundreds of boats which sail up and down the NSW coast who can now enter the lake – and we believe a more permanent longer-term solution is currently being looked at.

'The HCW 24 hour race is now an iconic event for Lake Macquarie. It’s an ideal introduction to night sailing for those sailors who haven’t done much in the past, and it helps raise significant amounts of money for cancer research and support programs,' Lewicki said.

For more details on the HCW 24 Hour Charity Yacht Race, please go to the event’s website at http://www.heavencanwait.com.au.