SPORT - Sail Sydney 2010
Sail Sydney is hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club (Rose Bay), and is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade One dinghy event bringing international sailors together from far and wide to compete on Sydney Harbour.
NSW Maritime chief executive, Steve Dunn said racing commences today with around 230 boats expected to participate in the four-day event, part of the Sail Down Under Series.
The series attracts highly-ranked sailors from around the world to compete in this event, which also serves as preparation for Olympic team selections. Racing at Sail Sydney will be conducted in each of the 10 Olympic classes, two Paralympic classes (Skud18 and 2.4mR) along with invited youth and international classes such as the 420, 29er, Bic Techno, Laser 4.7 and Moth.
NSW Maritime said it has a Safety Partnership with Yachting NSW for this event to promote the Big Ships Small Boats ('keep clear') message to participants and spectators alike.
Sydney Harbour, it said, is home to a busy ferry fleet, dozens of large commercial vessels and ship movements, so it is vital all skippers observe the rules and regulations for safe navigation. For the sailors, that means keeping a proper lookout and keeping clear of larger vessels that are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre within the confines of the harbour.
"Sydney Harbour has a proud record of staging safe aquatic events and we are working hard to keep it that way," said Dunn.
Yachting NSW is distributing the Big Ships Small Boats message to competitors and is linking directly to the NSW Maritime Big Ships Small Boats online resource pages from the official regatta website.
Photo: Too close... an 18-footer crosses a bulk carrier in Sydney Harbour. NSW Maritime says sailboats, like this, must keep at least 200m clear of the bows of trading vessels underway for safety reasons.