Fat - Navy League of Australia

was retired from service earlier last year
in the face of increasingly high support
and maintenance costs.
The navy plans to re-use the name
ZULFIQUAR in the new class of F-22P
frigates on order from the People’s
Republic of China.
Empara wins Navy
League Geoff Evans
Cup
The 2006 race for the Navy League,
Navy Week Yacht Race for the Geoffrey
Evans Cup was sailed on 28th October,
with a 1400 hrs start. It was run in good
conditions with a fresh south-westerly
wind and the 14 competitors were well
spread with 50 minutes between first
and last boats at the finish of the two
and a half hour race.
First past the post was Executive
Decision skippered by Mr A. Stevens,
but on handicap times, the winner was
Empara skippered by Mr Peter
Abrahams, with an elapsed time of 156
minutes, corrected time of 128 minutes.
Second was Irish Logic, Mr G. Fell and
third was Fabulous Action, Mr A.
Brown.
In the late 1970s, the then president
of the Navy League in Victoria, became
aware that the League had no
involvement in Navy Week and together
with a member of the executive, who
was also a member of the Royal Yacht
Club of Victoria (The Royals),
endeavoured to find a role for the
League. A yacht race seemed to be a
good idea and given the presence in
Victoria of the longest serving Federal
President of the League, it seemed
natural to honour him in the process.
And so was born the Navy League,
Navy Week Yacht Race for the Geoffrey
Evans Cup, to be run annually at
Williamstown.
The first attempt in 1979 was
cancelled due to very inclement weather
and the inaugural race was run in
October 1980. It was an evening race
and sailing the final northerly leg up
Port Philip Bay, with the lights of the
city in the background was quite an
emotional experience. The presentation
was made at a formal dinner thereafter
Flash Traffic
Mr Peter Abrahams (left) accepting the Navy League’s Geoff Evans Cup from Senior Naval Officer
Victoria CAPT David Garnock.
in the presence of competitors, being the
Commodore and members of the Club,
the League, Navy and Naval Cadets and
others and the event was and still is a
most successful venture. Over the years,
yachts from HMAS CERBERUS have
taken part successfully and the Cup has
been presented by The Naval Officer
Commanding Victoria and other notable
Navy people. Participants have from
time to time included crews of ships
refitting or working up in Williamstown.
The Royals have been extremely
generous in their support of the Race
and the League is most grateful for their
participation.
By Mr John Bird, Federal Vice
President Navy League of Australia.
NUSHIP DIPONEGORO, the first Sigma class corvette for Indonesia about to start sea trials.
Launched at the Dutch shipyard Schelde Naval Shipbuilding she is the first of four corvettes for the
Indonesian Navy. According to the shipbuilder, the four new corvettes are designed for patrolling
Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and for counter-piracy operations in the region. The ships
have a length of 91m and a displacement of 1,700 tonnes.
THE NAVY VOL. 69 NO. 1 17