Exciting close knit racing was the dish of the day in Qingdao, China as racing ramped up on the third day of ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao. The cool front that brought strong winds the day prior passed through enabling racing to commence at 11:00 local time. Northerly breeze at 16 knots at the start time slowly dropped down to 14 knots allowing three races across all fleets to be completed.

With spray flying and one hull lifted skyward, Sean Langman’s giant trimaran Team Australia sped through Sydney Heads at 12:09:58 this afternoon bound for Auckland, New Zealand, and the record books. News helicopters buzzed overhead as the 60-footer began the chase to set the fastest logged time for the 1,260 nautical miles across the Tasman Sea.

There are just 38 weeks until the start of the longest and the toughest coastal yacht race on the planet – the inaugural 'Ocean Race Around Australia – 2014. "People are busy at the 'Ocean Race Around Australia' headquarters preparing for the inaugural event due to start in Fremantle in first week of August in 2014,” said event chairman, Bob Williams, from Perth today.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao marks the start of the journey to the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships for the 131 sailors from 24 nations. Santander 2014 is the first qualification regatta for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition and hopeful sailors are using the ISAF Sailing World Cup series to test themselves in a range of conditions against the best in the world.

In Peter Burling and Blair Tuke’s latest update they take a look back at their stellar year including the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup and their first ever world title in the 49er class…

ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao threw out big breeze, strong gusts and wild waves as racing at the opening event of the 2013-14 ISAF Sailing World Cup began. A wind shift ahead of racing brought a strong northerly breeze that took the world's finest Olympic sailing talent close to the limits. Wind speeds in between 20-23 knots and gusts up to 30 knots made for exciting racing for the 131 sailors from 24 countries spread across the Laser, Laser Radial, Men's and Women's 470 and Men's and Women's RS:X fleets.

The sole New Zealand representative to compete at 2013 Semaine Olympique Franciase Regatta for Olympic class sailors in La Rochelle, France has come away with a silver medal. Kiwi RS:X windsurfer Natalia Kosinska won today’s medal race to pass France’s Eugenie Ricard and stand on the second step of the podium at the final 2013 EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup regatta which has just wrapped up at La Rochelle.

After spending the winter in the operating theatre at the hands of a skilled team of Noakes’ surgeons, Sean Langman’s Orma 60 trimaran has been re-launched ahead of a busy summer. The crew of Team Australia has just one week to test its new lifting prop, new rig and trimmer shape before six men, most of the same crew from the trimaran’s express run to Hobart back in February, will attempt to set an official Trans-Tasman speed record from Sydney to Auckland.

The entry list for 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland will feature at least three reigning Olympic class world champions giving local and international sailors the opportunity to rub shoulders with, and compete against the world’s best.

Yachting New Zealand is looking to appoint a new Coach Development Manager. We did not appoint anyone after the initial application period and are now accepting applications for this position.