AUSTRALIAN OFFSHORE CHALLENGE ANNOUNCED FOR 2011

The promoters of the Australian Offshore Challenge, an event that sees production trailer boats travel in a convoy across Bass Strait, have announced that the event will again run in 2011.

Event promoters Geographica Corp said the Bass Strait Rally edition of the Offshore Challenge will be staged in February 2011. Bass Strait is often traveled

by cruising yachties and yacht racers, but it is rarely experienced by powerboat enthusiasts. The Australian Offshore Challenge opens this area to

power boaters by island hopping across the open water in a convoy formation, escorted bylarge support craft.

The event made headlines in 2007 when Australian Offshore Challenge participants embarked on a 700 nautical mile navigation rally in production grade powerboats. Starting in Hobart,the boats traveled around the east coast of Tasmania,then crossed Bass Strait via the islands of the Furneaux Group, then headed to Westernport,before finishing in Melbourne.

According to Geographica Corp, crews who participated on this adventure have described the Bass Strait Rally as one of their best power boating experiences of all time. One reason for this is that it is not simply a “tag along” event — participants are given detailed navigation instructions each day and must plot their own course through the myriad of islands, passages and inlets that make up the navigational part of the Challenge.

However, the event is neither a race,and the organisers say the competition is all about navigation, the spirit of adventure, fun and camaraderie. Central to each day’s activities is an overnight stopover at a different port each day.

Boats do not need to be specially modified and may be standard production trailerable models with an offshore capability, but they must be equipped with usual marine safety gear required for offshore cruising.

Visit www.offshorechallenge.com.au for more information.