Weather gods look after business at Sail Port Stephens

4:00 AM Fri 24 Apr 2009 GMT

'Sun shines on the Bay - Sail Port Stephens' Jody O'Brien Click Here to view large photo

Just as it was in 2008, the sun has made a welcome appearance at the back end of Sail Port Stephens and it's a great day for a yacht race ... with 64 boats out on the water enjoying the beautiful sights and a little bit of breeze in the Port Stephens Marine Park.

After a cruisey start to the week in the 20 boat Commodores Cup fleet, the competitor numbers and boats have more than tripled and are fighting it out in the Yachting NSW IRC Championship, the Port Stephens Trophy, the Melges 24 National titles and a small but competitive SB3 fleet.

d'Albora Marina at Nelson Bay was the nerve centre of activity this morning as crews arrived and boats were prepared for the day's racing, in light north easterly winds ranging from 5 to 10 knots.

In line with the family friendly, partner friendly and short break holiday ethos of the regatta, there's some fun for the girls not sailing today as the High Tea in Style kicks off at Peppers Anchorage at 2:30 - an afternoon of cupcakes and champagne from the gorgeous Verandah Room overlooking the marina and the Bay.

Tonight's social fun kicks in at Nelson Bay Diggers at the Tooheys New White Stag Spend the Night in Something White party - and with prizes on offer for the best dressed crew and best use of Limited resources, judges are expecting to see the appearance of bed sheets in various shapes and forms....

For daily updates and results go to www.sailportstephens.com.au

Since its inception, Sail Port Stephens has had invaluable resource support from Business Port Stephens, an initiative of Port Stephens Council, and the inaugural group of Foundation Partners in Nelson Bay Diggers, All Seasons Salamander Shores, Peppers Anchorage and Shoal Bay Resort and Spa have, even in tough economic times, all continued to believe in the long term vision for the regatta and what it brings to the region.

International sailing clothing brand, SLAM, continue their support as the Official Clothing supplier, and d'Albora Marina are a great partner with their on-site support and special deals for regatta participants.

Newcomers to the Supporting Partner group for 2009 include Wild Oats Wines as the Official Wine Partner of the Regatta and Tooheys New White Stag - full strength low carb beer, as the Official Beer of the event.
International Paints are also participating in this year's event, through the International Paints Magic Moment of the Day - a daily award for outstanding achievement and human feats -good or bad during racing.

by Jody O'Brien

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