The Sail Down Under Series - the perfect lead up to Sail Melbourne

2005 SAIL BRISBANE December 10th – 14th, 2005

The Sail Brisbane Olympic and Invited Classes Regatta is the first event of the ‘Down Under Series’ of events on the East Coast of Australia.

Sail Brisbane have adjusted their dates to provide an easier lead in to the SIRs and then Sail Melbourne. In 2005 Sail Brisbane will be held for the following classes: mens 470, womens 470, laser full rig, laser radial, 49er, finn, 29er, optimist and more

For more information contact the host and organising club the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, www.rqys.com.au or 578 Royal Esplanade MANLY QLD 4179, Telephone +61 7 3396 8666

Event homepage with NOR and other information: http://www.rqys.com.au/sail brisbane index.htm

2005 SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL REGATTA December 17 – 20, 2005

The 2005 Sydney International Regatta (SIRs) will be held from December 17 – 20, 2005, as part of the Sail Down Under series and will be hosted by the Woollahra Sailing Club with the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron hosting the keelboat classes.

Organised by Yachting NSW for the past 14 years, the 2005 event will see a number of invited international classes joining the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth classes, including Laser 4.7’s, 505's, Moths and OK Dinghy classes and for the first time, the new Olympic board class - the Neil Pryde RS:X Board will race on Sydney Harbour.

The classes for the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth classes will be the 49er, 470, Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, Yngling, Tornado, Neil Pryde RS:X Board, Star, 29er, 420, 2.4mr and Sonar.

With an average fleet size of over 175 boats, this regatta is ideal for offering invaluable training for those crews working towards competing in their State, National and World Championships and especially in the lead up to the Sail Melbourne Olympic and invited Classes Regatta in January. Competitors from previous years have enjoyed close competition on the water, which has been of great benefit to their training.

Following the success of last year’s event with 195 competitors from 21 countries sailing, the 2005 SIRs is also an opportunity to utilise time on the water and fine tune tactics, while observing potential Olympic rivals aiming for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Yachting NSW representative and regatta director, Sam Crichton is enthusiastic about the forthcoming event, ‘We are looking forward to a large SIRs fleet with great competition on the water for everyone’.

The SIRs NOR is available on the Yachting New South Wales’s website at www.nsw.yachting.org.au

For further information, contactSam Crichton, Regatta Director on +61 (0) 407 636 416, or via email on samcrichton@smartchat.net.au.