Vale Doug Peterson

Very sad to hear of the death of legendary yacht designer, Doug Peterson. Those around my age will never forget his arrival on the IOR scene with his breakthrough yacht ‘Ganbare’ to the head of the pack where he stayed for much of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Whilst I rode the Bruce Farr wave for much of my competitive career, I never lost respect for Doug and was fortunate to meet him in San Diego along with legendary boat builder Carl Eichenlaub. Those two, together in conversation, were magic. Few give enough credit to Doug for his design role with Bill Koch’s America3 syndicate that won the America’s Cup in 1992 nor the pivotal design role he played in New Zealand’s ‘Black Magic’ America’s Cup victory in 1995. He was voted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame earlier this year and will be deeply missed at the induction ceremony scheduled for October at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. That he should die on the very day New Zealand won the America’s Cup back, is a truly sad coincidence…

Bill Barton’s book ‘The legend of Imp’ faithfully records Doug’s rise to prominence and also that of Ron Holland. It is a must read…

Acknowledgements (or ‘shout outs’ if you’re under 30!)

Ran Racing for winning the Audi Sailing Week 52 Super Series in Porto Cervo. Great to see Carolina Werner (pictured), Nacra 17 Olympic sailor, on board as a regular member of the team!

And Carolina is not the only ‘next gen’ sailor the class is encouraging.  Succession planning clearly underway! If you like a bit of trivia here’s something that might interest you; it takes an average of 2-3 seconds to hoist a TP52 spinnaker to the top of the 22-metre mast!

Darren ‘Twirler’ Jones, 3^rd in class at the Chigaco ‘NOOD’ regatta on board the J/III ‘Kashmir’. Not bad considering they had to carry a DSQ (no drops regatta)!

73^rd Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

This week, the CYCA released the Notice of Race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2017, inviting eligible yacht owners to enter what is widely regarded to be one of the world’s toughest offshore racing challenges. You can download the NOR and enter on line at http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/competitors/notice-of-race-entry. Entries close Friday, 27 October 2017 at 1700hrs AEDT….

From the Sailing Manager

The Yachting Queensland Clubs conference was held last weekend and there was a meeting between clubs who have “Keelboat” programs, specifically Category 3 races. There was more talk around general keelboat and trailer sailor racing in Queensland as well. It was recognised that the number of IRC rated boats had dropped below 500 nationally, though obviously this is still the preferred rule for “Grand Prix” yachting. There was a discussion about what the national body may do in the future with regard to ratings – they are promoting ORCi Club as a possible “intro” rule to a measured rating system, so that general fleets could not just be run on PHS.

The Queensland “Offshore” committee will be re-established as a result of this meeting, with yacht owners to be contacted in the coming months by Australian Sailing….

MCC ‘Big Lap’ Race – Saturday 8^th July (There’s still time to enter!)

Great opportunity to race with 40+ yachts and support a very worthwhile charity. The ‘Cure For MND Foundation’, is endeavouring to raise the profile of Motor Neurone Disease within Australia and abroad in the hopes that increased awareness may lead to not only better care for those affected by the disease, but also increased funding for vital research. Get on board (if you haven’t already). Although it’s part of the MCC series, a separate entry (including the option to donate) is required if you would like to race for trophies + you might consider attending the event dinner at MBTBC on Saturday evening – great fun! Visit http://www.manlycombinedclubs.com/online-big-lap-entry for all race documents….

Do We Know Each Other Well Enough?

Personally, I’m not so sure. Perhaps a regular ‘competitor profile’ (skipper or crew) is the way to go. I’ll be looking for willing candidates who aren’t afraid to tell their story (in the public domain). I have a simple questionnaire that won’t take long to complete. Who would like to be the first cab off the rank? If you have a recommendation or someone in mind, let me know via email or send a text – my contact details can be found below…

Diary Entries

Here’s a list of upcoming events that you might like to (or should) record in your diary. Your participation in all or any would be most welcomed I’m sure.

Saturday 8^th July – MCC Big Lap Race (series race 8), see details above (great cause!)

Sunday 9^th July – MCC Bay Race (series race 9)

Saturday – Wed (15^th-19^th July) – SCOR series (Mooloolaba)

Saturday – Sunday (23^rd & 24^th July) – Heineken Cup (IRC) and PHS Winter Championship (RQYS)

Saturday 29^th July – Winter Series Race 3 (RQYS)

Inbox

I’ll always be looking for Division Yacht news, views, ideas and opinions worthy of publication so please feel free to email or phone me with anything you may have. It won’t fall on deaf ears…

Email – psh15138@bigpond.net.au

Mobile – 0411 429 527

Cheers,

Tony Shaw