Gosford Sailing Club's added celebration for Lord Howe Race

10:33 PM Fri 28 Oct 2011 GMT

'Tom Slingsby (second from right) with Ian Kingsford-Smith (left) who received a Life-time Achievement Award, world Etchells champion skipper John Bertrand, who was a finalist for the Male Sailor of the Year, and Australian Etchells president Jake Gunther' Peter Campbell Click Here to view large photo

The Gosford Sailing Club and its members who will start the 38th annual Hempel Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race have added celebration because club member Tom Slingsby was last night named Australian Male Sailor of the Year.

Slingsby learned to sail at the club and his father, David, was a previous race director for the Gosford to Lord Howe Island Ocean classic.

Slingsby, the International Laser world champion and International Etchells world champion crew member, was chosen ahead of what was arguably one of the most talented line-up of Australian sailors nominated for the prestigious award - world Moth champion Nathan Outteridge, world Farr 40 champion Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, world Etchells champion John Bertrand, 470 world champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, and Rolex Sydney Hobart winning skipper Geoff Boettcher.

Bertrand and Slingsby will join forces again next February to defend the Etchells world title when the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron hosts the regatta next February.

'Congratulations to Tom for a well deserved recognition of his outstanding skills as a Laser sailor,' Gosford Sailing Club Commodore Geoff Jollow said this morning.

Perfect weather has been forecast for the start of the Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race from Broken Bay at one o'clock this afternoon with a small but high quality fleet setting sail on the 414 nautical mile crossing of the northern Tasman Sea.

The fleet includes two past Sydney Hobart Race winners, Wild Rose (Roger Hickman) and Midnight Rambler (James Cameron) with the 34-footer Midnight Rambler also a past winner of the Lord Howe Island Race.

A north-easterly seabreeze of 10-20 knots is forecast for Broken Bay and the Central Coast this morning but may ease about midday to 10-15 knots. Some thunderstorm activity has also been forecast along the coast this afternoon.

by Peter Campbell

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Gosford Sailing Club's added celebration for Lord Howe Race

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