A big event development year behind us - An even bigger year ahead!

10:08 PM Fri 18 Dec 2009 GMT

'Racetrack Diagram - Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally' Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

Bob Williams, CEO, Ocean Events, the Western Australian company behind the Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally events reports. 'This year is almost done and what a wonderful year it has been. First half of the year saw sailors from Australia and around the world responding to our on-line questionnaire asking what they would like in the way of a Race and Rally around Australia.

Six hundred responses later we launched the current Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally events format and now in the second half of the year we have logged 224 entrants, many international. Each and every one saying - 'bring it on'.

What has been pointed out and what we are very conscious of is that we are building the biggest offshore sailing events ever seen in Australia.

Whilst that is all very well on one hand it carries with it awesome responsibility in the other.

We are receiving fantastic support from yacht clubs around Australia and from the people of the many coastal cities around Australia that both our Race and Rally events stop-over at. Thank you!

Australia may have five times the population of New Zealand but when it comes to sailing we know we have a competition on our hands. The late Sir Peter Blake won the last around Australia race held in 1988.

Peter Blake won it convincingly on Steinlager 1 and he and his fellow crew member Mike Quilter won that tough race in style.

The Around Australia race honours rest with our brothers and sisters in New Zealand and they are not about to give up those honours anytime soon.

The New Zealanders are lining up in strength.

Already we have two speed machine multihulls entered in the 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race. White Tiger Challenge which is a Korean/NZ entry being headed up by Brett Bakewell-White.

Team G3, (pictured) is an ORMA 60 speed machine with a very impressive pedigree.

Owner Simon Hull is determined he and his crew will make their presence felt when it comes to handing out Race honours in December 2011.

ORMA 60 Team G3’ from New Zealand - Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally - Bob Williams

I'm sure our Australian Race participants have other ideas! We detect a nation vs nation 'battle royal' looming here.

It is great the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race season is upon us. What a spectacular event. Now is the time sailors are enjoying the southern summer heat and winds. You can cut with a knife the sailing competition tension that is in the air.

Ocean Racing is upon us and now minds are focusing on the big challenges - the Rolex Sydney-Hobart and the '2011 Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally'.

Bob Williams CEO Ocean Events - Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally - Bob Williams Click Here to view large photo

To our cruising friends the Rally is looming up fast. Thanks for all the great questions and suggestions during 2009.

We look forward to discussing the events with each and every one of you during 2010.

We would like to start running individual entrant profiles during 2010. To kick this off if you would like to send us a few words about yourselves and your yacht and a few high resolution pictures we will receive them gratefully and start running profiles on our event web site.

Seasons Greetings to All our Friends Around the World

Bob Williams and the Ocean Events Team

Web: www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au
Email: bob@sailaroundaustralia.com.au Phone: +61 (0) 413 057 559

by Bob Williams