4:27 AM Thu 24 Dec 2009 GMT
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'Shining Sea leads Transfusion (2006 Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week)'
Jack Atley©
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Adelaide Zoo's famous Giant Panda mates Wang Wang and Funi will be showing off their 2010 promotional image at the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Adelaide yacht entrant 'Shining Sea' has been designated as a Panda Ambassador for the Adelaide Zoo and will display a specially designed sail logo featuring the two Panda stars.
The Giant Pandas arrived from China 4 weeks ago and were viewed by the public for the first time only last week and expected to attract up to 5,000 visitors a day over the January holiday period.
Wang Wang and Funi are Australia's first resident long-term Giant Panda visitors. They are living at the Adelaide Zoo in a purpose-built multi million dollar facility, complete with acclimatised quarters for the hot Australian summer and special chilled rocks and streams in their outside areas. In 2008, Zoos SA signed a cooperative agreement with China to help secure the long term survival of Giant Pandas. Two years later and $8million spent, Wang Wang and Funi now call Adelaide Zoo home.
Adelaide Zoo has been entrusted with the care of these two Giant Pandas for ten years. Wang Wang and Funi were chosen because they are healthy, friendly and easy to handle. They are also considered a fantastic genetic pairing for the global Giant Panda breeding program. Any cubs they have will be valuable additions to the Giant Panda population.
Yacht owner and skipper, Adelaide lawyer Andrew Corletto said his family and the crew were thrilled to be ambassadors for the Zoo and it's star attractions.
Being Andrew's first bid at the Sydney to Hobart race, he spent most of his time getting the project and team together, rather than chasing sponsorship in the recent tough financial time.
When it appeared there would be no major naming sponsor, Shining Sea team supporter Mike O'Reilly came up with an idea to use the large sail area to promote 'something special in South Australia' . something everyone wanted to see. Maybe something nice and furry, so he rang a mate at the Adelaide Zoo!
'Can we take a Giant Panda to Hobart? The answer: 'Not quite - but how about revealing the new promotional image of Australia's most exclusive international visitors.' And so a 'win-win' deal was done. A range of plush toys, games and books are now being marketed by the Zoo on a special website
www.wangwangandfuni.com.au
, where all the funds go directly back into conservation projects.
Shining Sea is a Sydney 38 Class racing yacht owned and campaigned by experienced sailor Andrew Corletto, based at the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, North Haven.
The Sydney 38 yacht is an Australian designed and built racing yacht of approximately 12m in length and raced with 8 to 10 crew. Racing in the class is very competitive as the boats are all 'one design' (almost identical) and results are decided on across the line finish positions.
Shining Sea is a Sydney 38 design and is heading to Hobart for the first time.
Sailing under the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia flag, Shining Sea will be skippered and crewed by an experienced and successful crew which includes four Sydney to Hobart race veterans and multiple Premier's Cup and Lincoln Race week winners.
Owner & Skipper: Andrew Corletto.
Crew: Mick Warman (4), David Ottaway (3), Nigel Wilhelm (1), Paul Flaherty (2), Jeff Dinham, D. Poole, Paul Judge, Leanne McGrath (number of prior Hobart races)
by Mike O'Reilly
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