A leading light of Australian motor racing, Roland Dane, has purchased one of the world’s most successful small ocean racing yachts with the aim of taking top honours at XXXX Sail Paradise 2012, which will be staged by Southport Yacht Club off the Gold Coast from March 21 – 25.
And, to give his campaign the best possible chance of success, he has called on one of Australia’s top offshore racing sailors, former Sydney to Hobart race record-holder Michael Spies, to step aboard as project manager and sailing master.
Dane, who heads the Australian V8 championship winning motorsport team, Team Vodaphone, is a relative newcomer to offshore sailing, but he obviously harbours a determination to win on the water that is akin to his efforts in motor racing.
The yacht he has purchased and renamed Jessandra II is a Corby 36 design that has been prominent in regattas in Europe and Australia. Launched as Rosie in 2004 and re-named Rockall III when she was campaigned in Australia, this small yacht boasts an impressive list of firsts, including class winner in the 2011 Commodore’s Cup in the UK, and outright wins in the UK and German IRC class championships and at Cork Week. Last year she was second in one of the world’s major long-distance offshore events, the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
‘Our intention is to see Jessandra II as the most successful ocean racing yacht under 40ft in Australia,’ Spies said, ‘and there’s no better place to start that campaign than at Sail Paradise.’
Following XXXX Sail Paradise, Jessandra II will compete in the Brisbane to Gladstone Race at Easter then be prepared for the Audi IRC Australian Championship at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August.
Organisers of Sail Paradise confirmed this week that Queensland’s favourite beer, XXXX, would be the naming rights sponsor for the regatta.
‘It is wonderful to have XXXX back with us as a sponsor for a major regatta,’ said Southport Yacht Club’s CEO and former commodore, Neale Hollier. ‘They were behind the highly successful XXXX offshore series this club staged more than 20 years ago, so we look forward to enjoying similar success with them through Sail Paradise.’
Neale Hollier also confirmed that the social program for XXXX Sail Paradise was destined to match the pleasure that will come for the crews when racing their yachts along the shoreline of the Gold Coast’s famous golden beaches: ‘We’ve even planned a big beach party for the sailors, their families and friends this year. It will be something not to be missed.’
XXXX Sail Paradise 2012 will signal the opening of Tourism Queensland’s Season of Sailing.
For more information on XXXX Sail Paradise go to the regatta website, www.sailparadise.com.au
or contact Bronwen Ince at Southport Yacht Club: (07) 5591 3500.
Image caption:
Hi res images are available. Contact Bronwen Ince enquiries@southportyachtclub.com.au
Veteran Gold Coast sailor Colin Metcher (74) will again test his personal endurance at the tiller of his sports skiff Cool Change when the exciting fleet of mixed class dinghies and catamarans contest The Great Race on Saturday February 25.
This unique and exciting sailing challenge ranked among Australia’s most demanding small boat races again promises to sort the best from the rest over the 37.8 nautical mile (70 km) course from the The Southport Yacht Club Hollywell to finish off The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron on Brisbane’s Waterloo Bay.
Colin Metcher who won his first major trophy The South of Perth Yacht Club championship 58 years ago has an impressive list of International and National awards showcased in his personal trophy cabinet.
In fact he has sailed that many miles his race rivals believe he has salt water in his blood stream and turtle-neck barnacles growing on his skin.
His personal career resume includes winning the World Hydra catamaran championship plus a class win in the prestigious Hoek van Holland marathon in Europe.
To say he has a personal passion for the sport of sailing is an understatement as he has focused his career on planning and competing in major marathon events in West Australia before settling on Queensland’s Gold Coast where he as a principal organizer with Southport Yacht Club mate David Jorganson set the safety procedures in place for the inaugural Great Race seven years ago.
“Sure sailing is my passion and I’m proud of it” He said when pondering over the thought of subjecting his 74 year old muscles to another test of physical torture.
He has a good idea on what to expect, being the only skipper to have the distinction of completing all seven marathons since the first of these classic marathon races in 2005.
Further information is available from Colin Metcher on 0459 122 090.
By Ian Grant.
Whitsunday Sailing Club despite being geographically disadvantaged from the main stream of Queensland sailing has maintained a strong investment in attracting the local youth sailors to compete in class racing on Pioneer Bay.
Club Flag Officers have always encouraged the new generation members to enjoy their dinghy sailing irrespective of the results.
Their well managed try sailing days combined with the encouragement and advice provided by senior club members has provided a strong bond with the Optimist dinghy sailing team who recently contested the 2012 Australian Championship at Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
Several of the young Whitsunday Sailing Club Optimist racing team including 10 year old Hamish Swain racing for the first time at the national level experienced some serious challenges to maintain clear sailing space in the big fleet.
However they all were vastly improved individual sailors at the end of the regatta with Hamish Swain being rewarded as the best National sailor in his age group while the talented Eva Lorenz again expressed who skill to be selected in the Australian team to contest the 2012 New Zealand championships.
These results remain as a deserved reward for the team and the sailing training under present coach and former Australian Optimist championship Bronze Medallist Klaus Lorenz.
Klaus Lorenz basically self taught has a personal understanding of the challenges which the young tropical water sailors face but he represents an example that if you commit the time to endless hours on the ‘training track’ the results will dramatically improve.
Naturally he has spent a lot of time with his younger sister Eva making sure her career remains on track but he is similarly interested in being sure all the team of happy Optimist sailors continue to benefit building their skill and confidence.
Both Eva Lorenz and Hamish Swain have now returned to their respective class rooms to enjoy the admiration from their school mates.
However shortly after the school bag is packed at the end of the day they will enter the nautical class room at the Whitsunday Sailing Club to continue with their important training sessions.
http://www.qldyachting.org.au/event.asp?ID=44444&format=popup
By Ian Grant.
Eva Lorenz the happy Whitsunday Sailing Club Optimist sailor now has a better understanding of her physical endurance following the Australian championship on Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Waterloo Bay courses.
She has endured some relatively tough physical tests during her career but very few can compare with the day after day grind of racing which tested the heavy wind sailing skills of the 118 competitors racing for the 2012 Open Australian championship.
The boisterous south east breeze and the associated current flow from the January king tides resulted in the race course presenting a serious test of heavy wind sailing in the 15 race championship with the open Gold Medal resulting in an outstanding performance by Victorian teenager Jack Graves while New Zealand skippers Alistair Gifford and Lola Stoodley claimed the minor medals.
This normal summer weather system presented all of the solo dinghy skippers with a supreme test of physical endurance when they were required to lean hard in the hiking straps for long periods to master the sloppy seaway.
Whenever the wind gusts above 12 knots the waters of Waterloo Bay have a defined history of testing the sailor’s tactical and physical endurance and this championship which resulted in a deserved for Jack Graves also identified a wealth of talent in the fleet.
Not every young sailor was expecting to be presented with racing in the physically tough elements but those who managed to start smart and sail with a relatively dry bilge when shunting the snub bow into the corrugated sea surface typically known as the Waterloo Slop generally protected their reputations.
For Eva Lorenz the challenge was totally different to club racing in small fleets on the tropical warm waters off Airlie Beach.
But Eva was on a mission to improve her Australian ranking after finishing 42nd in the 2011 National series.
Her target was to sail smart and focus her tactical skills on finishing the regatta in the top 30 she achieved her goal finishing 25th overall and the 5th best female behind Lola Stoodley, Jaime Swalvey, Annabelle Davies and Sarah Kirke.
The presenters and crew from Channel 10’s ‘Places We Go’ enjoyed a day of sailing on the beautifulNoosaRiverwith
Noosa’s Youthsail instructors to show case the beautifulNoosaRiverand surrounds and the largest Sailing Program in the Country.
Round the World Sailor – Jessie Martin and AFL footballer – Clint Bizzell are presenters for Places We Go, now in its 4th season,
joined the Noosa Youthsail instructors Ali Blundell and Ryan Palk
to spend the day sailing in the McDonalds – Noosaville sponsored Youth Development Blazer 23.
Picture perfect weather provided a wonderful backdrop as the Blazer 23 weaved in and out of the Youthsail Holiday Program dinghy’s between the Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club andNoosaHeadsWoodBay.
The crew swapped stories and talked about the benefits of the wonderful sport of sailing for kids. The Youthsail program at Noosa delivers over 12000 lessons per year including around 2000 in their Access Disabled Program and has been a finalist in the Australian Yachting Awards for the last 2 years running.
Ryan Palk will be leaving next month for the European Laser series whilst Ali Blundell will be sailing with Troy Forrest and Todd McVay competing at the SB3 Victorian State Champs inGeelongfollowed by the SB3 National Champs inHobartas a lead up to the World Championships in December.
SunshineCoastDestination CEO, Steve Cooper added “Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd (SCDL) is excited to welcome and host Channel 10’s Places We Go program on theSunshineCoast. The crew have been capturing the more adventurous attractions in our region including the iconic Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club with presenter Jesse Martin taking to the waters with some of the up and coming younger local sailing talent. Due to be televised in March, the program will provide a perfect boost to the Club in exposure and value for the wider Noosa region moving into the 2012 holiday season.”
By Ian Grant.
Teenage Whitsunday Sailing Club 420 class sailors Klaus Lorenz and Ollie Annear overcame the important lack of class experience to finish 10th in the OAMPS Australian Youth championship on the windy Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron courses earlier this month.
Klaus has always shown exceptional talent with a dedicated training program to climb the ranks in the Australian Optimist Dinghy class and was not out of his depth steering his dinghy Drag Queen to a deserved top ten result.
He had a soul searching decision to make regarding his future career after finishing with the Bronze Medal at the Australian Optimist Championships hosted by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in 2011.
The time had arrived for the talented tropical water sailor to step up to a class which would not only offer a competitive one-design racing environment but also provide the young skipper and his long term school mate Ollie Annear with the opportunity to race against the best 420 crews.
Because of their age they had that Optimist dinghy racing with the Whitsunday Sailing Club fleet was over and accepted the challenge of combining and improving their individual skills in making sure they were on the pace in the Olympic trainer 420 class.
Both Klaus and Ollie were excited after announcing the decision in August and just five months later they gave notice that Drag Queen was on the pace in spite of training alone on Pioneer Bay.
“Racing in the 420 class was an easy decision to make, however both of us understand the challenges that are ahead but we are young and prepared to do the hard yards”. Klaus Lorenz said last August.
Klaus and Ollie are not only school friends but great mates with a personal dedication to help each other to become recognized as North Queensland’s best young sailors.
Judging by the results of finishing 8th in the Open Australian championship and 10th in the OAMPS Youth championship the Drag Queen crew are destined to achieve their goals in 2012.
They have learnt that boat preparation and endless hours of training to improve their boat skills have overcome the lack of racing regularly in big fleets.
Meanwhile the testing waters of Pioneer Bay will become the important test bench for the promising 420 class racing team who will be focusing their careers on becoming selected to represent Australia at a future World Youth championship.
By Bronwen Ince
Australia’s leading professional yacht race manager, Denis Thompson, has been confirmed as Race Director for Sail Paradise, the summer offshore regatta which will be staged by Southport Yacht Club, on the Gold Coast, from March 21 to 25.
At the same time, dynamic and innovative marine sculptress and artist, Jo Wooler, of Mojo Creations, has completed the magnificent ‘Sail Paradise’ perpetual trophy out of polished marine grade stainless steel. The impressive award is styled around the shape of a billowing gennaker and is mounted on a timber base which embraces the surge of the sea.
Queensland offshore sailing legend, Bob Robertson, already has his name on the trophy as the winner of the inaugural Sail Paradise regatta with his yacht, Cracklin’ Rosie.
Sail Paradise is evolving as ‘THE’ exciting new regatta in southeast Queensland. It caters for the widest possible range of sailboats – from offshore racing keelboats and cruising yachts to multihulls and sport boats.
After enjoying the inaugural Sail Paradise regatta so much, there is no holding back Bruce Absolon this year. He has already entered his Volvo 60, Nikon–Spirit of the Maid, declaring that as well as simply wanting to sail in such a satisfying series, he will use Sail Paradise as a warm-up for the Brisbane to Gladstone race, starting April 6.
The rapidly expanding SB3 sport boat class has nominated Sail Paradise for its Queensland championship, and already the man behind the class in Australia, Rod Jones, has entered his boat, Club Marine.
The offshore course area for Sail Paradise is considered to be one of the best for yacht racing in Australia. The majority of the courses will be set just off the surfline of the Gold Coast’s famous golden beaches, while the distance races for the keelboats will see them sail a stimulating and challenging passage south to Cook Island, on the Queensland/NSW border, and return.
Southport Yacht Club is well recognised as being the friendliest yacht club on Australia’s east coast, and regatta organisers will be out to ensure that this reputation is retained during Sail Paradise. Apart from there being an entertaining social agenda planned for the club, families and friends accompanying competitors will have the opportunity to experience the many and varied attractions of the region – from the unspoiled natural beauty of the hinterland through to the beaches and some of the world’s best theme parks.
The Notice of Race and entry form are on the regatta website – www.sailparadise.com.au
Sail Paradise 2012 is supported by Gold Coast City Council and Gold Coast Tourism.
Image Captions
1) Jo Wooler, of Mojo Creations, hands over the spectacular Sail Paradise Trophy to Southport Yacht Club Commodore, Rob Mundle. (Image: Southport Yacht Club)
2) The waters off the Gold Coast’s magnificent golden beaches are among the best you will find for an offshore regatta. (Image: Gold Coast Tourism)
Released: January 11, 2012
In the Offshore Fleet, the Peter Harburg owned Black Jack will once again be attempting to beat the race record which has eluded them in the last few attempts. The record which stands at 9HRS 36MINS 45SEC has stood since 2002. Most skippers agree that the record set by Bob Sled is manageable but rests entirely with the wind. Members of the public will be able to follow the race as it happens via the live Tracertrak yacht tracking system on the race website, www.surf2city.com.au “The Tracertrak system updates the yachts positions every five minutes and allows everyone to get involved with the race. In previous years we have seen traffic on the site reach over one million visits” said Nigel Statham, Race Director for the event. Whilst the Inshore fleet won’t be carrying trackers, the race organisers at Queensland Cruising Yacht Club will still have a good idea where all the boats are via a series of Check Vessels that the competitors have to pass along the course. Vivace, owned by Noel Leigh-Smith, will be defending her Inshore line honours title which she won last year with a new Inshore Monohull race record 4HRS 27MINS 56SEC whilst in the multihull category, a number of contenders led by George Owens’ Mad Max look likely to mount a serious challenge for the Inshore Multihull race record. The race is organised and hosted by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club and run in association with Southport Yacht Club.The 19th anniversary of the ever popular Surf to City Yacht Race will be held this coming Saturday, the 14th January.
Friday, January 6th, 2012
The unique race starts at Southport Yacht Club and finishes just off Shorncliffe Pier. Two fleets compete in the event, with the smaller boats taking a 50 nautical mile route inshore of the Stradbroke Islands whilst the bigger yachts take a 100 nautical mile course around the outside of the island and then the top of Moreton Island.Surf to City Yacht Race PO Box 399 SANDGATE QLD 4017
Clubhouse: Sinbad Street, Shorncliffe, 4017
Telephone: 07 3269 4588 Facsimile: 07 3269 0818
Nigel Statham
Race Director
Surf to City Yacht Race PO Box 399 SANDGATE QLD 4017
Telephone: 07 3269 4588 Facsimile: 07 3269 0818
Email: raceentries@qcyc.com.au
Email: nigel@qcyc.com.au
Website: www.surf2city.com.au