HCW 2009 Notices of Race issued

Notices of Race (NORs) have been issued for the 2009 Heaven Can Wait regatta and One Lap Dash event, to be held at Lake Macquarie on Saturday October 3. The day is organised by the Heaven Can Wait Yacht Club and is co-hosted by the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto.

Now in its fourth year, the race was originally conceived by Lake Macquarie sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki to raise funds for cancer research, awareness and support programs. The primary beneficiaries are the NSW Cancer Council, NSW Division (which receives 70 per cent of funds raised), and the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, Lake Macquarie Division. Nearly $13,000 was raised in 2008 for these two organisations.

Yachts competing in the race will sail around the course as many times as possible over a 24 hour period. Participants in the One Lap Dash will sail the same course, with the finish line set by the race committee according to conditions on the day. Yachts are encouraged to compete in both events.

The entry fee system has undergone significant changes so as to reduce entry costs for individual skippers and encourage more community, friends and family participation in fundraising.

“We’ve changed the entry fees for individual boats to a flat fee of $150 per boat, regardless of crew numbers,” said Lewicki, who is also commodore of the HCW Yacht Club. “This will result in a significant reduction in entry fees for those skippers who have covered the costs of crew participation in previous years." Entry fees for the One Lap Dash have gone up slightly to $75 but are discounted to $50 for boats participating in both events.

Visit www.heavencanwait.com.au or email info@heavencanwait.com.au for more information on the HCW 24 hour yacht race.