’Le Billet’, Bill Ebsary’s RPAYC Beneteau First 44.7, has emerged as the clear leader in the overall IRC pointscore of the Coffs series, after completion of the first four short course lead-up races on Day two of the 26th Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Offshore Series, raced offshore at Palm Beach today.
SEATTLE, Dec. 29, 2006 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Korean Air today announced that the two companies have finalized an order for 25 airplanes with a value of approximately $5.6 billion at list prices.
Korean Air’s order includes 10 777-300ERs, five 747-8 Freighters, five 777 Freighters and five Next-Generation 737s, along with options for eight additional airplanes — four 777-300ERs, two 747-8Fs and two 737-900ERs.
British yachtsman Mike Golding has been awarded an OBE for his contribution to the sport of sailing.
Golding, 46, who lives in Hampshire, is regarded as one of the world’s best offshore racing sailors.
After day one of racing in the 26th Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Offshore Series today off the Palm Beach Circle, the results are all tied up at the top of the leader boards in the three divisions competing in this year’s series, hosted by The Royal Prince Alfred yacht Club.
Racing got underway in clear conditions in a 10-15 knot southerly breeze in a bumpy 1-2m swell for races 1 & 2 of the series.
SAS Isandlwana is a Frigate-sized warship but in-service partly equipped. The hull and superstructure will support growth in weapons systems and control systems.
SAS Protea and consort in exersizes with French warships demonstrating an increasingly confident and ambitious South African Navy. Aspirations to expand the fleet and to add an assault helicopter/dock vessel will provide the ability to project force well beyond the defence of South African territory.
The South African Navy may soon get the green light to buy a fifth patrol corvette, or frigate, after the government’s go-ahead for fresh negotiations.
Highly placed navy and defence industry sources have revealed that the cabinet has agreed to open negotiations for a fifth ship in the Valour Class MEKO A-200 series, four of which have already been delivered to the country.
Wild Oats XI
After being the first boat in over 40 years to win back–to-back Sydney to Hobarts, Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards has confirmed that they will leave Hobart shortly to get back in time to start in the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race starting on January 2. If successful, Wild Oats XI will become the first boat ever to win back-to-back ocean races. This event, now in its26th year, is conducted by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
Bob Oatley’s ‘Wild Oats X1’, the 30m super maxi Reichel Pugh will also become the largest boat ever to compete in the 226 nautical mile Pittwater to Coffs race and, if southerly conditions are in its favour, will put the race record under threat, which currently stands at 18hrs 29mins.
࿙āကĀŸŸ
Thirteen yachts set sail in near perfect weather conditions in Table
Bay, Cape Town on Thursday, 28 December for the 1675 nautical mile
Governor’s Cup. This biennial event is sailed between Cape Town and
the tropical island of St Helena.
After spending Christmas Day at sea (on day 64) of the Velux 5 Oceans
round the world race, 67 year old sailing legend Sir Robin
Knox-Johnston crossed the finish line at 11:57.15 GMT on Wednesday
27th December 2006.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person ever to sail solo non-stop
around the world (1969) is racing alone around the planet again, aged
67 and has now completed the first 12,000 mile stage of the race from
Bilbao (Spain) to Fremantle (Australia), taking 68 days 0 hours 57
minutes and 15 seconds.
Koomooloo soon after the 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart start’ Andrea Francolini ©Photo
Ray White Koomooloo was one of the oldest and certainly the most
beautiful yacht competing in the 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Her varnished mahogany hull shone out among the modern boats, built of fibreglass and carbon fibre, as she headed out into the Tasman Sea
yesterday afternoon.
To the relief of her 23 exhausted crew and owner Bob Oatley, this
evening Wild Oats XI gybed her way under spinnaker in the dark up
Hobart’s Derwent River to secure her second consecutive line honours
win in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the first back-to-back win in the
race since Peter Warner’s Fife-designed Astor, in 1963-4.