Yachting: Antarctica Cup proposes dash through Strait

12.35pm

A new sprint-style Southern Ocean yacht race which will offer prize money of $US6 million ($13.91 million) will take 25-metre boats through the Cook Strait.

The Antarctica Cup race, first due to be staged from December 2004, will be run by the Royal Perth Yacht Club in Australia and is intended as a 45-day non-stop dash through some of the world's most treacherous seas.

There will be eleven legs in the race, with yachts passing through electronic finishing gates, some in geographical landmarks such as Cook Strait.

Race organisers have asked Lady Pippa Blake if the Cook Strait leg could be called the "Blake gate", after Sir Peter Blake who was killed by bandits in Brazil last year, but they have not yet had a response.

Prize money of $100,000 will be awarded for the fastest boat on each leg. The gates are being touted as an important safety leg as they will prevent the yachts straying too far south and into iceberg territory.

The race starts and ends in Fremantle and will cross the Southern Ocean passing both Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope.

The race is being promoted as a "nations cup", with yacht clubs representing countries, and crews coming from that country of origin.

Boats will be supplied by race organisers and will be identical. They are to be designed by New Zealand naval architect Ron Holland, who designed Lion New Zealand which was raced by Sir Peter in the former Whitbread round the world race.

The announcement of the race has raised eyebrows in yachting circles, but Australian organisers say the concept is superb.

"I am sure that everyone interested in long distance, blue water ocean racing will be captivated by the potential of this great race," former America's Cup sailor John Longley of Fremantle said in a statement.

"It is not often that a great idea corresponds with a great need."

Although organisers will not comment on whether the race is designed as a challenge to the Volvo Ocean Race, they say the Antarctica Cup offers two things the Volvo does not, prize money and an affordable boat.

The boat must be purchased as part of the entry fee for the race, and is intended to be useable after the race. It will include a skipper's cabin and other safety features not normally seen on lean ocean racing yachts.

The driving force behind the concept is West Australian Bob Williams, a former ocean racer who used to own Australia's top basketball team.

- NZPA

Royal Perth Yacht Club