Coffs Coast Sail week first entry from Zurich

by Rob Mundle on 20 Feb 2001 Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Coast Sail Week – The Premier’s Cup Regatta


Nigel Holman, owner of the competitive BH41 design, Zurich, has put the Premier’s Cup firmly in his sights by being the first
entry for the Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Coast Sail Week to be sailed from March 23 to 31.

Even well before entries close the signs are that this year Sail Week will take another significant step towards becoming a
major regatta on Australia’s east coast. Hugh Treharne has confirmed that he and Bob Robertson will be racing their
impressive new 60-footer, Eureka. And some of the most competitive yachts on the coast, including Hobart race winner SAP
Ausmaid (Kevan Pearce) Yendys (Geoff Ross), Heaven Can Wait (Warren Johns), AFR Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis/Bob
Thomas) and Quest (Bob Steel) are likely to follow.

'I see the Coffs Coast series as the emerging regatta on the east coast,' Holman said after lodging Zurich’s entry with
Middle Harbour Yacht Club. 'Coffs Harbour is a great location for Grand Prix racing.'

Apart from IMS and IRC yachts there is expected to be strong representation from Beneteau owners. Brendan Hunt, from
Beneteau Vicsail, has put up the Beneteau Trophy for the best performing Beneteau at the regatta.

The Sydney 38s are also considering racing for their own trophies within the series. They will be given their own division
start if sufficient boats enter.

Racing for the offshore keelboats starts with the Sydney to Coffs Coast race on Friday, March 23. During the ensuing week
there will be a mixture of intense windward-leeward contests and distance races around the stunning islands that sit like
sentinels off the coast.

The Premier’s Cup is the major trophy for IMS and IRC yachts competing at Sail Week. There will also be divisions for PHS
and Cruising yachts while Sportsboats and trailerable yachts, including Thompsons and Magic 25s, will join the fleet once
racing starts in Coffs Harbour. Local cruising yachts are also being encouraged to be part of the regatta by racing just in the
events staged out of Coffs Harbour. The regatta is a joint venture between Middle Harbour Yacht Club and Coffs Coast Yacht
Club.

In keeping with the latest attitudes towards safety for offshore racing MHYC has scheduled a Safety Seminar prior to the
Sydney to Coffs Coast Race 2001 and recommends all crew attend. The topics for the seminar will include liferaft and flare
demonstrations, helicopter rescue, weather, MOB, safety at sea and liferaft demonstrations.

When the fleet arrived in Coffs Harbour the crews will find that the pressure won’t be on all week. On the layday, March 28,
there will be the Par 3 golf championship on the smart course at Pacific Bay Resort plus model yacht racing on the resort
ponds. That’s not compulsory competition. Many sailors, their family and friends will use the day to soak up the sights and
atmosphere of this picturesque sub tropical region. Coffs Harbour is where both the Great Dividing Range and the edge of
the continental shelf are closest to the coast on Australia’s eastern seaboard.

This year the regatta will have a new look as a result of the positive response that came after the last event. And it boasts a
new major sponsor in the form of Pacific Bay Resort, the magnificent ocean front facility located just north of the city. Pacific
Bay Resort is offering special crew accommodation packages for the week.

The organisers have taken another step towards expanding the event by including a series for 505s and Hobie Cats over the
first weekend, starting March 24.

Park Beach Plaza, Coffs Coast Tourism, Beneteau Vicsail, Geoff King Holden, Ansett Australia, the Coffs Harbour Advocate
and CUB have joined as supporters of Coffs Coast Sail Week.

The official website for this event is www.sail-world.com

For more information contact the Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Coast Sail Week coordinator, Rob Mundle, on (02) 9997 1126.
Email rmundle@ozemail.com.au or John Hurley at Middle Harbour Yacht Club on (02) 9969 1244.