The event will be held at the Sandringham Yacht Club later in the year, kick starting the Oceania leg of the 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup series. It is yet another major sporting coup for Victoria.
The Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events the Hon. Louise Asher said, 'The Victorian Government is delighted to welcome back the ISAF Sailing World Cup to the Bay and will support the event over the next four years. The successful bid reaffirms Melbourne’s position as one of the world’s key sporting capitals and event destinations, along with Port Phillip Bay’s reputation as having some of the most ideal conditions for competitive sailing.'
The ISAF Sailing World Cup is one of Australia’s premier sailing events and delivers a sports entertainment platform centred around world class Olympic sailing. The event which forms a six-part series around the world brings together the best Olympic sailors to our shores offering a unique opportunity for Australia’s sailing community to compete on a global platform.
ISAF Secretary General, Jerome Pels said, 'Sail Melbourne has an impressive history in delivering significant international sailing events to the state of Victoria and has been highly regarded on the international circuit for some time. Coupled with Melbourne’s state-of-the-art sporting and marine infrastructure, Sail Melbourne was a clear choice when selecting the host of the Oceania Leg of the event for the next four years.'
As host of the event for the past three years, Sail Melbourne has supported Victoria’s goal to stage international events with the aim to drive economic investment and showcase Melbourne as a professional hub for sailing and development throughout the world.
'As a major event, the ISAF Sailing World Cup offers a great platform for both Melbourne’s sailing community and the wider public to enjoy and we look forward to welcoming our national and international athletes to Melbourne’s iconic Bay,' said the Victorian Minister for Sport and Recreation the Hon. Hugh Delahunty.
Sail Melbourne Chairman Bruce Griffiths said, 'Melburnians have embraced the sailing lifestyle with great enthusiasm and the event has gone from strength to strength over the past three years. Sail Melbourne, in conjunction with Yachting Victoria and its supporting partners are proud to invite sailing competitors of all ages, abilities and genders to Melbourne for the ISAF Sailing World Cup.
'Our vision is to become a serious player in the major events calendar and we will continue to drive and promote sailing as an enjoyable sport for pleasure and competition for everyone. We are delighted to promote Melbourne as the world class sailing destination it is.'
Australia has enjoyed a long and successful history in competitive sailing and currently holds numerous World Titles across a number of Olympic Classes, with expectations high for further Olympic success in London later this year.
2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year and Olympic sailing medal hopeful Tom Slingsby, who will compete at the London 2012 Games said, 'I’m looking forward to competing in Port Phillip Bay on home waters later in the year following the Games. Our sailing athletes are some of the best in the world and this year we have a real chance to bring home gold for Australia.'
The next four years will see Sail Melbourne deliver a sports entertainment platform that will provide strong commercial returns for its stakeholders while reinforcing Melbourne as a top sailing and tourism destination to the world.
Over and above the world class sailing action, the event will continue to develop its lifestyle marine driven carnival which will see the Port Phillip Bay and its shoreline come alive with activities for everyone to enjoy.
The Oceania Leg of the 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup in Melbourne will run December 2 – 8, 2012 at the Sandringham Yacht Club with the series next heading to Miami before moving on to Europe.
Sail Melbourne website
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