Ocean Race Around Australia to go ahead in 2014

by Bob Williams on 6 Aug 2013 On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 1988 Bi-Centenary Around Australia Race (08/08/1988), Ocean Events announces that the ‘Ocean Race Around Australia’ will go ahead in 2014.

Champion New Zealand sailor the late Sir Peter Blake won the 1988 race. For the monohull and multihull competitors, with capsizes, dismastings, a sinking, a man lost overboard, it was a challenging 90 day race, a great adventure for the sailors and resounding success for the event and boat sponsors.

This time we have better boats, GPS, yacht tracking, mobile phones, the web, on-board cameras, social media, media coverage galore. But something’s haven’t changed – the wind, the waves and the whales!

We’re including some great stopover ports around Australia and existing popular regattas to make this a must-compete, must-repeat, experience for our national and overseas competitors, media representatives and boat and event sponsors.

Ocean Events is inviting monohull and multihull racing boats from Australia and around the world to join the inaugural ‘Ocean Race Around Australia’.

The following is a brief description of the 2014 race format:

•A race for ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing - Category one boats.
•A race for monohulls and multihulls.
•A choice of four start/finish ports.
oFremantle - Start, early July. Finish early October.
oPort Lincoln - Start, mid July. Finish mid October.
oMelbourne - Start, third week of July. Finish late October.
oSydney - Start, end of July. Finish early November.
•Incorporating an existing east coast race and Whitsunday Islands regattas.
•10 Stopover ports.
•Crew changes at all stopover ports permitted.
•Duration of race for individual competitors - around 95 days.
•Race Entry fee, AU$25,000 (plus GST where applicable).

International entrants, monohull and multihull, are welcomed.
International entries adopt Fremantle or Sydney as race Start/Finish port.
All-female crews welcomed.