Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

Sonars Official Debut Performance

by Jessica Statham on 21 Oct 2000
Australia win Race 2 in the Sonar Class on Sydney Harbour Rachel Nahum
Today we saw the Sonar class compete, for the first time as a full medal sport in the Paralympic Games
2000. This boat is especially designed for disabled sailors, with an 11ft wide cockpit, and angled seats, an ideal Paralympic class.

The three person Sonar class, were ready to go on the gun, a couple of boats more eager than others. Three gun blasts and we have a general recall. Once again they find their best proposed postion on the line, a lot of the fleet are sticking to their original decision, the pin end. Australia got off to an excellent start, having chosen the port side of the course, sailing away in clear air, whilst Germany and Canada stay to the right. The wind was a steady southerly 12 knots as the fleet made there way up to the first windward mark. Australia rounding first, shortly followed by Canada, then German and Sweden.

As the wind dropped to about 9 knots and was gradually moving south easterly the positions began to change, some crews proving to gain place on the down wind run. Germany finish their debut race, running away gracefully with a lead of 1min 20 seconds over Canadan, who were just under 1 min ahead of the Australian crew of Noel Robbins, Jamie Dunross and Graeme Martin.

Race two was for the Aussies. After another general recall, the Australians had an excellent start, once again at the pin end of the line, they broke away leaving the rest of the fleet in their dirty air. Skippered by Noel Robbins a former Americans Cup skipper, the Australian kept their lead thoughout the race.

The win was in the bag from the start, as they were first to round every mark, and kept clear air and fresh water through out. The Australians finished the race with a dramatic lead of nearly 2 minutes ahead of who seems to be their rivals, Germany.

Race 1 Results
1 GER, 2 CAN, 3 AUS, 4 NED, 5 USA, 6 IRL, 7 GBR, 8 ESP, 9 ARM, 10 ISR, 11 SWE, 12 NOR, 13 NZL, 14 SUI, 15 JPN

Race 2 Results

1 AUS, 2 GER, 3 SWE, 4 ESP, 5 GBR, 6 CAN, 7 NOR, 8 NZL, 9 NED, 10USA, 11 ISR, 12 ARM, 13 SUI, 14 IRL, 15 JPN
Switch One DesignExcess CatamaransNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Related Articles

Admiral's Cup 2025 | D3 Inshore Racing Videos
More light and tricky conditions on the Solent. Three races? More light and tricky conditions on the Solent. Three races?
Posted today at 1:55 am
O'pen Skiff World Championship in Japan
Team USA delivers a solid performance Five US sailors traveled to Nishinomiya, Japan for six days of challenging conditions, hot temperatures, and world class sailing. USA sailor Lucas Doran was in third place in the U17 fleet before the final day of racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
Admirals Cup: Day 4 - All hanging on the Fastnet.
The end of the beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup. Rán runs aground - claims redress. Today marked the End of the Beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup with the conclusion of Inshore racing on what is known as the "Central Solent". The Baltic teams' TP52 Rán hit a sandbank and has claimed redress.
Posted on 24 Jul
Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49ers Series
Happening for the first time at Hamilton Island Race Week Palm Beach Motor Yachts is proud to be the naming rights sponsor of the Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49er Series, which will debut at the 2025 Hamilton Island Race Week, celebrating its 40th edition in August.
Posted on 24 Jul
Less than 48 hours to Rolex Fastnet Race
Battle lines are being drawn up Battle lines are being drawn up for the RORC's centenary Rolex Fastnet Race. As the final day of Admiral's Cup inshore racing took place in the Solent, so several yachts due to take part in Saturday's main event were out training.
Posted on 24 Jul
A Day at the WASZP Games
Video interviews with some of the sailors and supporters of the class The WASZP Games 2025, being held at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in the UK, has attracted 248 of the foiling dinghies to take part in a week of varied and high intensity racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
Admiral's Cup David Maynard Thursday Gallery
First race of the day, captured for our viewing pleasure David Maynard was out on the water to catch the action from the first on Thursday of the Admiral's Cup Inshore Racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
World Sailing's inaugural Impact Report
Charting a new course for a sustainable future in sport World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport of sailing, today released its first Impact Report, a comprehensive overview of the federation's significant progress in environmental sustainability and social contribution.
Posted on 24 Jul
Yoann Richomme returns to Fastnet
Says Elodie Bonafous' is the boat to beat This weekend's biennial Rolex Fastnet Race - one of the oldest classics in sailing - sees the IMOCA Class return to the racetrack, with eight boats on the startline on Saturday for what is the second round of this year's IMOCA Globe Series Championship.
Posted on 24 Jul
2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds kicks off
Over 20 races scheduled across eight days, with the world's top young windsurfers chasing the title The world's fastest young windsurfers are arriving in Brittany as the 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships get under way in Brest.
Posted on 24 Jul