TEAMORIGIN have now been down in Auckland since 22nd February and are in the final throes of preparation for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland Regatta. Training days take place on Sunday 7th and Monday 8th March and racing starts on Tuesday 9th March. The initial round robin happens between Tuesday 9th March until Monday 15th March, followed by 2-3 days elimination rounds, semi’s and then the Louis Vuitton Finals on Sunday 2st March.

(Photo - Andrea Francolini)

The sailing fraternity and spectators alike will see a fierce battle of will and skill on 6 and 7 March 2010 when Round 2 of the Audi IRC Australian Championship is raced at Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta on Sydney Harbour.

The annual Championship series, now in its fourth year, comprises four stages which take place around Australia, and is endorsed by Yachting Australia. With a major prize of a new Audi vehicle, along with the prestige of being crowned Australia’s national Champion, the series not surprisingly, has become increasingly popular each year. 

Fifty six yachts took to the start line in Round 1 of the Championship and approximately 35 are expected to compete in Round 2 at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta this weekend.

Round 1 for 2010 was staged at Audi Victoria Week (Docklands and Geelong) in January, and all but one of those who finished in the top five placings have already entered for the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta and their chance to win the national title.

At the top of the leaderboard after Round 1 is South Australian Geoff Boettcher and his RP51 Secret Men’s Business 3.5, then comes Nicholas Bartels’ Sydney 47 Terra Firma (Vic), Peter Horn’s brand new King 40 Canute (NSW), Rob Hanna’s TP52 Shogun (Vic) and Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll (Vic). 

Junior sailors from Narragansett Bay and the surrounding region will be able to extend their summer sailing season this year by 150 miles. The Organizing Committee of the Ida Lewis Distance Race has announced the introduction of its Youth Challenge--aimed specifically at introducing junior sailors to offshore sailing--for this year’s sixth edition of the race, scheduled to start on Friday, August, 20, 2010.

Regional yacht clubs and sailing organizations are invited to field youth-crewed teams on the 150 nm mile course that is offered for PHRF classes.  (The other course, reserved for IRC classes, is 177 nm.)   “The idea of the Ida Lewis Distance Race Youth Challenge is to give junior programs an incentive to organize teams and develop the skills necessary to succeed in a medium-distance overnight race,” said Committee Member Joe Cooper, who is spearheading the effort.  “We have already had various teams compete in the race with kids onboard, and we have recognized that because it is a manageable distance – not too long but not too short, either -- it lends itself to this.”  In 2006, second-place finisher Tom Rich (Middletown, R.I.) said his mostly teenage crew experienced their first-ever overnighter on his Peterson 42 Settler, and they will never forget the whale that sprayed the boat when it spouted, seemingly in encouragement of their efforts.