Strong entry list

Many top International sailors have already entered the 2005 Sydney International Regatta (SIR)

The 2005 Sydney International Regatta (SIRs), as part of the Sail Down Under series, is set to provide a harbour spectacle with a large fleet taking to the water for four days of racing in Olympic, Paralympic, Youth and invited classes.

Organised by Yachting NSW for the past 14 years, the 2005 event will have a strong contingent across all classes including good representation from the Tornados with an expected 13 entries from five countries. Racing will be especially fierce with a number of notable sailors taking part in the action. Europe class champion and Volvo ocean racer Carolijn Brouwer will be joined by Finn champion Sebastien Godefroid to represent Belgium, as well New Zealand representatives Aaron McIntosh and Bruce Kendall. Great Britain’s flag will be flown by world ranked number two sailors Leigh McMillan and Will Howden, with fellow Europeans Iordanis Pashalides and Kostas Trigonis from Greece.

Australia also looks like having a strong Tornado representation, led by multihull champion Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby. "I am really looking forward to SIR's. The southern hemisphere will become a popular training place for Europeans in the next few years as we get closer to the 2008 World championships in New Zealand. At this stage it looks like we will have five nations attending in 2005 with numbers also looking promising for next year. SIRs will also launch our 2008 Olympic campaign as it will be the first ISAF regatta that Glenn Ashby and I will attend, since teaming up together,” commented Bundock.

Fellow New South Wales Tornado sailors include Andrew MacPherson, Michael Pfeffer and David Rutledge. Victoria will be represented by Robbie Lovig, Andy Griffin and Michael Vandenberg and the Northern Territory will have Rohan Langworthy and Jack Punch and Matt Punch and Peter Gibb to swell the Australian ranks to nine teams.

After an extremely successful year racing in Europe, up-and-coming Gosford Laser sailor Tom Slingsby will return to race again at SIRs in the Laser class. In 2005 Slingsby won Hyeres, Lake Garda Olympic week, Spa (now called the Holland Regatta), Warnemunder week and the Laser Europa cup event in Austria and finished sixth in Kiel, and was fifth at the Laser European Championship. ‘SIRs is always a great regatta with a strong Laser fleet. I am looking forward to getting back in the Laser after a break from dinghy sailing,’ remarked Slingsby.

The Finn class anticipates a number of international representatives joining the fleet including Ed Wright from Great Britain. Wright previously raced in the Laser class at SIRs and is returning to train with the Australian Finn fleet including Josh Beaver and Athens 2004 Finn representative and +39 America’s Cup grinder Anthony ‘Nocka’ Nossiter. Two other America’s cup team members will be competing in the Finn class - Jim Turner from Great Britain and Ben Durham from Australia.

Australian representatives in the class will be SIRs regulars Will Wild from Queensland, John Shallvey and Jake Gunther from Victoria, with 20 year old Ricky Ironmonger, former Laser Youth Worlds champion.

The new board class the RS:X Neil Pryde board will make its first appearance in a Sydney regatta at SIRs with a number of competitors then heading onto the next stop in the Sail Down Under series, Sail Melbourne in January 2006.

The NOR is available on the Yachting New South Wales’s website at www.nsw.yachting.org.au . Entries close December 9.