Welcome to the October edition of The Dream Begins in Perth, the official monthly enewsletter of Perth 2011.

Since the last edition of The Dream Begins in Perth, I have travelled to Weymouth in the United Kingdom, with Director Commercial Operations Darren Beazley and Senior Project Manager - Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships Emily Heitman from Eventscorp, to attend the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta 2009.

The regatta, which was held between 14th-19th September 2009, attracted nearly 500 entries from more than 30 countries. It was held at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth and Portland, where work has been completed for the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The knowledge we gained about innovative techniques and management styles; radio operating and safety procedures and broadcasting techniques utilised at Weymouth was invaluable and is a significant asset in the lead up to and for Perth 2011. The new skills will assist our team in ensuring that the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships has stringent safety systems in place; follows first class race management procedures; has complete accuracy with measurement and timing techniques and provides tremendous excitement for spectators.

Aspects of running a sailing event of this size parallel Perth 2011, although Perth 2011 will be considerably bigger than the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta 2009, as sailors will be vying for the 380 places available in the 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition.

In the UK, it was interesting to see the efforts made by the event organisers to engage the public in our sport by the development of a “public village” and to learn about the technological enhancements of the televising of such an event.

For daily UK updates and for further information about progress in the lead up to Perth 2011, a major international Event, please visit www.Perth2011.com.

Commercial Operations Division Actively Seeking Sponsorship
The Perth 2011 Commercial Operations division continues to actively seek sponsorship opportunities in Western Australia, nationally and internationally.

Perth 2011 Sales Manager Peter Bowman recently travelled to Sydney and Melbourne to meet with several large organisations, which have shown an interest in sponsoring this exciting international Event.

I have recently returned from the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in the UK and from meetings in the USA. While in the US I met with potential international sponsors. These meetings were organised by Perth 2011 Commercial Operative in the US, Jack Wilkie.

The tendering process for the RHIBS (Rubber Hull Inflatable Boats) is underway and a good response has come from applicants within Australia and overseas.

On behalf of the team at Perth 2011, thank you for your ongoing support of this tremendous major Event.

Best Wishes,

Darren Beazley
Perth 2011 Director Commercial Operations

Diners at The View Restaurant Fremantle.

On Tuesday 3rd November, 2009 between 11.00am and 4.00pm The View Restaurant Fremantle will host a Melbourne Cup Day luncheon. Tickets cost $140 per guest, which includes a three course lunch, a beverage package and live broadcast of the race that stops a nation. Please note that tickets are non-refundable. The View Restaurant Fremantle is open seven days for lunch and dinner and is located upstairs on the beach at 47 Mews Road, Fishing Boat Harbour, in Fremantle.

Gold Medal winning US sailor Anna Tunnicliffe.

Top US sailor Anna Tunnicliffe has dominated at international Laser Radial events during the 2008-09 sailing season. The inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup is a year-long composition of seven Grade 1 events, which included Sail Melbourne in Australia and the Rolex Miami OCR in the USA, followed by five top regattas, held in Europe. US sailor and Zhik Team Member Anna Tunnicliffe (pictured) is a

This backs up Tunnicliffe’s brilliant form in winning Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Sailing Competition, which was held at Qingdao, in China. She turned her attention to sailing an Elliot 6m in the Women’s Match Racing event at Weymouth, taking a Bronze Medal home in that event instead.

Tunnicliffe has also just been announced as one of only four female sailors worldwide (nine international sailors in total), who have been nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2009.

The sailors’ achievements during the qualifying period of 1 September, 2008 to 31 August, 2009 are taken into consideration for the coveted awards. From this field, there will only be two winners – one male and one female.

lSAF Sailing World Cup 2008-09

The inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup 2008-2009 series consisted of the following seven events -

16-21 Dec 2008 – Sail Melbourne The Asia Pacific Regatta, Melbourne, Australia
25-31 Jan 2009 – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR, Miami, USA
4-10 April 2009 – Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia MAPFRE, Palma, Spain
18-24 April 2009 – Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres, France
27-31 May 2009 – Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Netherlands
20-28 June 2009 – Kieler Woche, Kiel, Germany
14-19 Sept 2009 – Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta 2009, held at the 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition venue in Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain

Visitors to the exhibition look at the Perth 2011 Laser, which was rigged on site.

On 12th September 2009, Perth 2011 was one of many organisations to participate in the Maritime Exhibition, which was held at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal. About 2,000 people attended the Event. The two Perth 2011 staff members in attendance manned the stall, networked with other industry representatives and stallholders and spoke to visitors about the excitement and scope of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. Overall, Perth 2011 staff members were pleased with the response from visitors, as many knew about the Event through the media, from information provided via their sailing clubs and through working in related maritime industries.

Sailing Manager Michael Downing rigged a Perth 2011 Laser on site. The Laser was a popular spectacle and talking point for children and adults alike.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the many aspects of Perth 2011 may do so by visiting the Perth 2011 website at www.Perth2011.com.

Perth 2011 is asking interested charities to submit Expressions of Interest to become official aligned charities to the Event.

For more information or to get a copy of the Expressions of Interest guidelines please visit www.perth2011.com and click on the download button on the front page.

Applications are due by 5.00pm on Friday 30th October, 2009.

Perth 2011 Board Member and Australia II Trimmer Skip Lissiman (right) received the original flag at O’Brien’s Bar in Newport, USA.

Skip Lissiman and Perth 2011 Event Director and Australia II Winch Grinder John Longley standing in front of Australia II, after presenting the original flag to the WA Museum – Maritime, at Fremantle.

After 26 years on American soil the original Boxing Kangaroo flag, made famous by Australia II when it won the historic 1983 America’s Cup, has returned home to Fremantle.

Earlier this month, Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships Event Director John Longley and Perth 2011 Board Member Skip Lissiman, two of the original crew members from Australia II, presented the famous Boxing Kangaroo flag to the Western Australian Museum – Maritime, in Fremantle.

The flag was recently discovered hanging in O’Brien’s Bar in Newport, Rhode Island, by Australia II Project Manager and Winch Grinder for the historic race, John Longley.

Twenty-six years to the day, Australia II Trimmer Skip Lissiman had the honour of accepting the flag from the O’Brien’s Bar owner, Tom Regan, in Newport. In recognition of the flag’s arrival, Mr Lissiman presented Tom Regan with a new Boxing Kangaroo flag signed by the 1983 crew.

The Australian Olympic Committee, which owns the rights to the Boxing Kangaroo, agreed that the original flag should be donated to a museum of the crew’s choice.

Mr Lissiman said: “It is fitting to have the flag in the WA Museum’s collection, as Australia II is housed at the Maritime Museum.”

Western Australian Museum Chief Executive Officer Diana Jones said the Museum was honoured to be affiliated with such an important part of international, national and Western Australian sporting history.

“The flag has such a unique and interesting story of its own, which we will now be able to share as part of Australia II’s history,” Ms Jones said.

The original Boxing Kangaroo Flag was made from off cuts of sail cloth used for Australia II spinnakers.

The October course, which will be held at Hillarys Yacht Club, is already fully booked.

The next course, which will be held in November at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, is also filling fast.
Yachting WA is organising other courses, which will be hosted by various clubs around Western Australia.

About 300 race management personnel will be required to assist during the 16-day Event in December 2011.

Please contact Yachting WA on 9386 2438 to sign up or for further information.

Map of Perth to Busselton

Soak in the beautiful views and take a stroll along the longest timber jetty in the Southern Hemisphere - the Busselton Jetty.

Situated on the turquoise waters of the seaside resort town of Busselton, the 143-year-old jetty has survived several natural hazards, including fire. The jetty still stands today, attracting visitors from around the globe.

Described as Australia's greatest artificial reef, the Busselton Jetty is host to awe-inspiring, vividly-coloured tropical and colourful coral, sponges, fish and other sea life.

The Underwater Observatory, which is situated at the end of the jetty, is quickly becoming one of Western Australia's major eco-tourism attractions. Descending 12 metres to the ocean floor, visitors can observe the amazing coral and marine life through 11 viewing windows, located at various levels within the observation chamber.