Korea and Kiwis set for 2011 Around Australia Race

12:11 AM Thu 10 Sep 2009 GMT

'Rob Bassets Wired is aiming for the 2011 Around Australian Ocean Race' Dennis Ford

2011 Around Australia Ocean Race Stop-Over Ports around Australia looking good - Korea and New Zealand gearing up for the race action.

The '2011 Around Australia Ocean Race' and '2011 Around Australia Ocean Rally' events are a circumnavigation of Australia by Race or Rally with stop-overs.

The target is 150 yachts in the Race event and 150 yachts in the Rally made up from Australian and overseas participants, although the Rally numbers are growing very rapidly.

Participants may start and finish their chosen event from a number of 'home' ports around the Australian coastline. 149 event Slot Reservations have been lodged in the eleven weeks since the launch of both events.

www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au

Ocean Events P/L from Western Australia is the events organiser. OE director Bob Williams is currently circumnavigating Australia visiting government instrumentalities, yacht club officials, business people, in the eight start/stop ports and five stop-over ports around the Australia coastline.

'the enthusiasm and support in every port I visit is overwhelming. We have wonderful places in Australia that both our Race fleet and Rally fleet sailors and supporters will experience and enjoy. It's such a pleasure planning and implementing the Race and Rally events. With such support both events will be nothing short of outstanding'.

There are already reservations from North America, UK, Europe and New Zealand.

Now Korea with help from New Zealand is anxious to get into the action.

White Tiger Challenge out of Busan Korea - AAOR&R - Dennis Ford Click Here to view large photo

The 'White Tiger Challenge' out of Busan, Korea is a Korea/NZ collaboration to claim glory in the Around Australia Ocean Race multihull division.

The 'White Tiger Challenge' is spearheading a move towards Korean involvement in high profile yachting events and ultimately a challenge for the Americas Cup.

The Around Australia Ocean Race is seen as an ideal stepping stone towards these goals providing a vehicle to raise the sports profile in Korea and to show that Korea can compete at the highest level.

The 'White Tiger Challenge' is being coordinated by the Kiwi/Korean organization, Sail NZ International and will bring together a group of the best Korean dinghy sailors and team them with some Kiwi experience.

The vehicle for this challenge is a New Zealand designed and built 16.5m carbon catamaran with proven capability which is to have further performance enhancement in the lead up to the Around Australia Ocean Race event.

Rob Bassett, Brett Russell, and their team on New Zealand racer 'Wired' have been one of the more active campaigners from New Zealand in recent years and they have chosen to use the Around Australia Ocean Race as a new challenge on which to focus their efforts.

The highly talented NZ yacht designer Brett Bakewell-White is working with both teams.

'The nature of the Around Australia Ocean Race event is tailor made for Kiwi or International entrants, with stop-over events maximizing time and involvement for crew and allowing crew substitution for those who cannot commit to the entire event.

Rob and the team have put in a lot of effort to maximize the performance of 'Wired' and they are simply on fire at present.

'The Wired team has some unfinished business with the Australian 50ft fleet'.

Ocean Events is keen to entice a big fleet of international teams in the Around Australia Ocean Race. 'Our dream is to have an equal number of Australian and international yachts represented in the Race. 75 from Australia, 75 from overseas. That is what we are out to achieve' said Williams.

info@sailaroundaustralia.com.au

www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au
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by Event Media