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Rolex Sydney Hobart Race
At 8.00am this morning, four yachts were left at sea in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Rolex Sydney Hobart and all four were expected to make it across the finish line and into Constitution Dock in time to ring in the New Year

Martin Power's Bacardi, Jean-Luc Esplaas' 41 SUD, Namadgi skippered by Paul Jones and Steven Carey's Deja Vu are the final four that will close the chapter on the 69th Rolex Sydney Hobart.

With 20 nautical miles left to race, Bacardi, a Peterson 44 from Victoria, will make history as the yacht to sail the most Hobarts when she crosses the line shortly after 0845hrs this morning. She will claim 28 races with only one retirement in the 35 year-old's history.

41 SUD, an Archambault 40 from New Caledonia is expected next, around 1300hrs, with the Canberra Ocean Racing Club's Elan 444, Namadgi, set to cross the line after 1700hrs and the Dufour 38, Deja Vu, is last on line and due sometime after 2100hrs.

"We are estimating arriving at the finish line at 1800 hours New Year's Eve...and there better be cold beer!!!!! - Deja Vu with an experience remembered forever," came from the yacht that is last on line and now due well after her expected ETA.

rolexsydneyhobart.com

And In The Other Races To Hobart...
Extasea has secured a record third straight line honours win in the Melbourne to Hobart yacht race.

Experienced campaigners described the West Coaster as one of the toughest ever due to the wild conditions down the Tasmanian coast.

The boats were blasted with wind gusts of up to 64 knots and swells averaging six metres, with some peaking as high as 12m.

The Royal Geelong boat finished with serious damage to its mainsail, which skipper Paul Buchholz had to nurse through to the finish up the Derwent river on Sunday night.

The DK 46 completed the race in two days, three hours and 41 minutes.

It's the first boat to ever win in three successive years.

All boats are home safely in the Melbourne to Hobart West Coast race. The last boat Seduction skippered by, Richard Nichols, finished at 15:21:40.

www.sportsfan.com.au/extasea-wins-melb-hobart-line-honours/

www.orcv.org.au

* After a night of battling through galeforce headwinds and big seas in Storm Bay, the Hobart yacht The Fork in the Road has taken line honours in the National Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race.

Skippered by former Olympic and world champion sailor Gary Smith, crossed the finish line off Castray Esplanade at 5:44:59 this morning - in almost a flat calm on the River Derwent.

The win is the third for New Zealand designed, Tasmanian built 45-footer but still several hours short of the race record.

As The Fork in the Road crossed the finish line only one of the 26 starters in the 285 nautical mile race was still racing, Andrew Scott's Jarkan 38 Bellandean. With the westerly gale still pounding Storm Bay The Protagonist had run for shelter in Port Arthur.

Four yachts, Black Magic, Twitch, Believe and Masquerade retired last night due to damage, crew injuries or because of the forecast of dire weather at Tasman Island overnight.

"We did not suffer any damage but several of the big Sydney Hobart yachts were damaged, one split its mainsail, another was dismasted," Smith added. -- Peter Campbell

l2h.com.au

Marinepool ISO Automatic Life Jackets - Test Winners Around The Globe
Marinepool Safety is the last area where compromise is an option.

Marinepool utilizes only the best materials, state of the art release mechanisms and all life jackets are produced in ISO certified production facilities. More than 20 years of experience and design excellence and a proven track record have made the German brand the largest producer of life jackets for the leisure market and its products the benchmark in the market.

Marinepool life jackets have come out on top of product tests by magazines around the globe again and again. Proof that our no-compromise designs and no-nonsense attitude result in the best product for your safety. Marinepool is striving after setting the bar ever higher to satisfy the demands of top athletes and the general watersport enthusiast alike.

For both highest functionality and uncompromising quality go hand in hand and add to their success on the race courses or their pleasure when out at sea.

Turning the wearer quickly into the correct position, with face and airways clear of the water, while putting them in a secure and comfortable floating position regardless of weight and size is crucial.

At the same time, the life jackets must offer a simple and hassle free adjustment system for harness and crotch strap. Marinepool life jackets excel in both areas and are made to the new ISO 12402 standards - already compulsory in Italy and Spain for life jackets sold in these countries - which are much more stringent than previous CE standards.

Marinepool offers a comprehensive range of 150N, 180N and 300N automatic and manual life jackets as well as 50N and 100N foam filled life jackets for cruising and performance sail racing. In addition, the range includes horse shoes, sling rescue systems and ISO certified life lines with two or three hooks.

Comfort and ease to wear make it more likely that life jackets are put on and it remains fact that only a life jacket that is worn can do much good.

The ISO life jacket range by Marinepool. Design. Technology. Passion.

marinepool.com

The Boat Broke In Half
Safe on shore after a miraculous rescue from his sinking IMOCA 60 Cheminees Poujoulat west of Ushant on Christmas Eve, Swiss skipper Bernard Stamm has been explaining how the boat sank after the whole front half of the boat tore away.

In an interview with Le Figaro, he elaborated on his earlier account of the boat breaking just behind the daggerboards. Shockingly, he says that the boat came off a wave and the bow ripped away and fractured to "45 degrees to the axis of the boat."

Stamm and his co-skipper, well-known French Figaro sailor Damien Guillou, were extremely lucky to survive the accident and subsequent hair-raising rescue by a cargo ship. As our earlier news report details, several unsuccessful attempts were made to airlift them and then to drop additional liferafts. During the manoeuvres to get aboard the cargo ship, the boat and crew were nearly crushed against it in huge seas, and Stamm and Guillou finally had to swim to get aboard.

Now that the two are safe on land, questions are being asked. The first is why Stamm persisted on sailing into the storm on his delivery back to France from the Azores. "Why did a sailor of Stamm's calibre put himself in harm's way with such a well forecast storm?" tweeted Didier Ravon, editor of French sailing magazine Voiles et Voiliers.

But Stamm insists that he was not in exceptional conditions considering what these boats are built for and has often raced harder in far worse. -- From Elaine Bunting's blog:

www.yachtingworld.com/blogs/elaine-bunting/

Le Figaro interview: nautisme.lefigaro.fr

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Crew Of CV10 Celebrate Sydney Hobart Result
Navigator Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, skipper Jim Dobie and their Clipper 68 CV10 crew have celebrated their Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race result into Hobart, Tasmania.

CV10, a Clipper 68 that has gone round the world four times in previous editions of the Clipper Race, beat 11 of 12 Clipper 70s into Hobart as well as rival Clipper 68 CV5 in a closely fought 628-mile sprint from Sydney. The race was one of contrasts and saw tough upwind sailing through gusting winds in excess of 50 knots and five metre waves after the initial first two days of champagne sailing.

Clipper Events and Training yacht CV10 was 37th overall in line honours of the RSHYR.

CV10 finished at 09.15 local time (10.15pm UTC) behind winners of the Clipper 70 class, Derry-Londonderry-Doire and ahead of second-placed GREAT Britain. CV10 was formerly known as Derry in the 2011-12 edition of the Clipper Race, providing a fitting link between this crew and Clipper 70 Derry-Londonderry-Doire coming into Hobart first.

* Clipper Race 7 from Hobart to Brisbane will be delayed by 24 hours until 1600 local time on 2 January 2014. This is due to the rudder bearing issue that caused Henri Lloyd to retire from Race 6, the RSHYR. The problem has also been discovered on PSP Logistics but to a lesser degree than Henri Lloyd. Both yachts were hauled out this morning at Prince of Wales Bay in the Derwent River. Both rudders on each yacht have been removed and new rudder bearings are being manufactured.

The race will restart at 1600 off Constitution Dock, Hobart with boats slipping lines from 1400.

Due to the delay in restarting from Hobart it is anticipated that the yachts will now arrive in Brisbane between 9 and 10 January. The race restart will be on 12 January. This should not affect the arrival window in Singapore of 8 to 9 February.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

2014 Cape To Rio Race
Click on image to enlarge.

Cape To Rio Race The Cape to Rio Race sponsored by Xtra-Link and organised by the Royal Cape Yacht Club is one of the world's oldest, longest and toughest ocean races.

Although the race has finished in other South American destinations, the first Cape to Rio Race took place in 1971, pre-dating the Whitbread Round the World Race. The rhum line is 3300 miles across the Southern Atlantic, the vast expanse of desolate ocean is notorious for high winds and big seas and tactically there are many strategic decisions right from the start.

36 yachts will cast off from Cape Town on January 4th with race crew from all over the world. A variety of yachts will be lying the flags of eight different countries; Angola, Australia, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy and South Africa.

Giovanni Soldini's Italian Volvo 70, Maserati is the hot favourite for line honours and is currently predicted to complete the course in 11 days. Soldini has taken part in over 40 Transoceanic races and has won solo round the world and transatlantic races.

Whilst, Maserati may be the first yacht to finish the course, the Cape to Rio Race uses the IRC Rating system to calculate the overall monohull winner. Robert Date's Australian Reichel Pugh 52, Scarlet Runner is one of the favourites and currently routing at 14 days for the race. The Australian crew sailed the yacht to Cape Town from Sydney and after the race will sail the yacht up to the Caribbean to take part in the RORC Caribbean 600 and several Caribbean regattas.

The Cape to Rio Race is the flagship race of the Royal Cape Yacht Club and 27 yachts from South Africa will be taking part. Including RCYC Commodore, Dale Kushner's Sunfast 32, Yolo (You Only Live Once). Yolo will be one of the smallest yacht in the race and the Commodore will be racing Two-Handed with his long time crew member, Ian Coward. The duo have competed in almost every single Offshore event in South Africa as a pair. -- Louay Habib

www.cape2rio2014.com

Hong Kong Dragon Championship
With the continued support of Central Oceans and Northrop & Johnson, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club will host the Hong Kong Dragon Championship from 10 to 12 January 2014, with nine races scheduled to take place over three days in waters to the east of Lamma, south of Hong Kong Island.

In spite of the recent loss of two Dragons from the Hong Kong fleet, the turnout is expected to be strong, potentially matching last year's record of 18 boats on the start line.

Once again, the Club is delighted to welcome top international sailors to the event. Vasily Senatorov, Vice Chairman of the International Dragon Association (IDA), will charter a Dragon with fellow Russian 470 Olympic sailors Igor Iwashintcow and Slava Varnachkin.

Another top Russian team, Dmitry Samokhin, Andrey Kirilyuk (one of the best tacticians in the Dragon circuit) and professional crew Alexei Busher, are planning to charter a Hong Kong Dragon. RUS 76 finished in 2nd place at the World Championship in September 2013 in Weymouth and is regularly on the podium at international events.

Theis Palm, Dragon Champion and North Sails Dragon expert, who this season is again taking part in HKG55's European campaign, will also fly to Hong Kong to continue to train the team.

www.rhkyc.org.hk

I Want One
Photo by Neil Rabinowitz. Click on image to enlarge.

Sizzler One of the world's most technologically advanced and perfectly crafted daysailers exists encircled by mountains and forest on a lake in the state of Idaho in north-western USA.

'All four of my grandparents grew up on this lake,' explained Hagadone. 'We had no money and lived in a log cabin on the western shore, but we boated all the time, spent every minute of every summer on the water. And after years of sailing small boats on the lake I dreamed of building a boat like the Sizzler.'

'I love sailing, but I do not like all the time required to get the boat ready, so I had been thinking of a design I could sail quietly on the lake by myself, completely automatic, something stylish with a lot of sizzle,' recalled Hagadone.

Richard Hein, owner of Oceanco, put Hagadone in touch with yacht designer Tony Castro. They discussed a stable, simple lake boat - but aside from the sporty flush-deck and Wally-like profile, Sizzler has features never before seen on a daysailer, or on any lake boat.

Drool here: www.yachtworld.co.uk/boat-content/

Remembering 'King' Eric Gibson
Eric Gibson Bahamas' "King" Eric Gibson was one of the sailing and entertainment communities' "most influential ambassadors and brightest stars," said PLP chairman Bradley Roberts.

Mr Gibson, who died on Saturday, dedicated most of his life to the growth and development of sloop sailing and regatta organisation and is chiefly responsible for the popularity of the sport which is enjoyed today, Mr Roberts said.

""Its profound economic impact on Family Island economies and domestic tourism generally due to the tireless efforts of King Eric cannot be understated. His contribution to Bahamian music, especially live native entertainment in local hotels and nightclubs, enhanced our cultural tourism product immensely and remains a blueprint for local cultural tourism development today. He is truly a cultural icon.

His passing is a great loss for The Bahamas as 'King' has left behind a tremendous legacy of cultural embellishment and national pride.

www.tribune242.com

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 2006 Azzura Marine Warwick 67. 1,400,000 GBP. Located in Brisbane, Australia.

Allegro was built in carboncomposite by Azzura Yachts in 2006 to a design by Warwick Yacht Design. Her current owner had Allegro built for fast round-the-world cruising with his wife and family. This carbon masterpiece has been a total success with some very quick voyages such as the 630 nautical mile Sydney-Hobart run in 2 days and 17 hours. Sleeping eight guests in four cabins, Allegro s 190hp Yanmar engine gives her a range of 1,200 nautical miles at her cruising speed of 8.5 knots.

Brokerage through Ancasta Yachts: www.yachtworld.com/ancastayachts/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com

The Last Word
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. -- Martin Luther King Jr.

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