Around Australia Ocean Race

Photo credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster

The 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race & Rally has attracted interest from over 240 participants. Some of the notable entrants so far include Grant Wharington’s 98 footer Wild Thing, previously known as Skandia, Matt Allen’s modified Volvo 70 Ichi Ban and Alan Brierty has taken a slot reservation for his Reichel Pugh 63 Limit. There are already New Zealand and Korean racing yachts booked in and the event organisers are expecting to attract many racers from Europe, Asia, UK, the USA and elsewhere.

The course will be in a counter clockwise direction – Australia to Port.  Yachts in Fremantle will start first on the 25th of June 2011. As yachts reach a stop over port they will be joined by yachts starting from that port.  There will be a minimum stop over period for each port – some longer than others.

2011 Around Australia Ocean Race’ the Whitsunday Islands, Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, a preview of what’s to come!

The ‘2011 Around Australia Ocean Race’ and ‘2011-2012 Around Australia Ocean Rally’ events are a circumnavigation of the Australian coastline by Race or Rally with stop-overs.

The events are unique as they allow participants to start and finish their chosen event from a number of home ports around the Australian coastline. This feature is proving to be very popular with a total of 113 event Slot Reservations lodged within the eight weeks since the Race and rally events were launched.