Yesterday was the last day of SB3 racing where we finally had a good result finishing third in the final race of the week. We improved every day and just as we were starting to do well, we ran out of days. But it was great fun.
So today Mike, Sean and I (Matt stayed back to study!) headed out on four-time Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Wild Oats XI to sail against the super yachts.
The crew were a great bunch and Wild Oats is in totally another league to Pink Lady and anything I’m used to! Planing along at 17knots under kite between the islands in the Whitsundays isn’t something to complain about and it was a great way to finish my week off.
Thanks again to the team at Pansonic Lumix for the great support. Everyone enjoyed the week on Hamilton Island and we hope to do it all again next year!
“After an ordinary first day of racing yesterday where we were near the tail of the field, we headed out to the start line this morning on day 2 hoping for some better luck. In this video, the guys are concentrating as we start plaining with the spinnaker up. A few seconds later the spinnaker pole (a pretty critical bit!) started bending wildly with a fracture in the middle, but luckily we were able to swap to another boat and ended up having a really fun days sailing with some great wind.
After a few ordinary tactical calls on day 1, followed by a bit more time on the water, we did a lot better score wise today.”
Check out Jessica’s video (above) which was shot on her Lumix FT2 Camera!
After a hectic few weeks on the book tour, I’m now spending some time relaxing in the sun on Hamilton Island, which is on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, amongst Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands.
I’m up here to take part in Hamilton Island Race Week, sailing a SB3 (a 23 foot sports boat) with some friends – Mike, Matt and Sean. A big thanks to the team at Panasonic who have kindly sponsored us. We will be racing a LUMIX-branded boat and it should be a lot of fun.
Today is the first day of racing, although there is not much wind at the moment. It is due to pick up later today. We’re looking forward to seeing how we go out on the water against the other boats. So stay tuned to Panasonic’s social sites and I’ll keep you all informed of our progress over the next 4 days and post some pictures and videos from our LUMIX cameras!
Panasonic are pleased to announce their continued support of around the world sailor Jessica Watson, who will further test her racing skills when she contests the SB3 sports boat class at the 27th staging of the Hamilton Island Race Week.
Hamilton Island Race Week is held in the middle of the magnificent Whitsunday Islands on the fringe of the Great Barrier Reef and is nothing short of a spectacular combination of scenery and competitive racing. More than 200 yachts are scheduled to compete in a variety of classes from the 21st – 28th August.
Jessica’s SB3 yacht, named Lumix by Panasonic, will be crewed by fellow solo sailors, Mike Perham, Matt Jones and Sean Lind, all experienced young sailors.
Jessica has previously sailed SB3’s and is looking forward to new challenge of competitive racing. “I’m looking forward to sailing with the boys. The racing will be very competitive, with every crew wanting to win in this strict one-design class. But I am in this for the experience, it should be a lot of fun,”
Panasonic first partnered with Jessica in her around the world attempt and see this new phase of Jessica’s journey as a continuation of a strong partnership. Jessica will be recording and sharing her race week exclusively with Panasonic’s social network fans on Facebook and Youtube. Daily footage will be captured on the DMC-FT2 rugged Lumix camera and the HDC-SD60-R camcorder.
“It’s great to have Lumix on board again and we will be taking plenty of pics and videos during the week. So everyone can watch these on Panasonic’s social sites.” Whilst Jessica’s crew is not expected to win the regatta, she certainly has the proven endurance and the super human will to beat the odds..
To keep up to date on Jessica’s Hamilton Island Race Week;
- Simply visit the Panasonic Australia blog at for all the latest details.
- Follow Panasonic Australia on Facebook or Twitter
- You can also see the Jessica Watson videos up on our YouTube Channel
We’re proud to announce that we have received EISA Awards for our popular LUMIX DMC-G2 and DMC-TZ10 cameras.
We’re really excited to announce that the LUMIX G2 has recieved the “European Multimedia Camera 2010-2011″ . The G2 is the world’s first touch-control digital interchangeable lens system camera* which achieves high picture quality and mobility with unprecedented operational ease. The LUMIX TZ10 has been awarded “European Travel Compact Camera 2010-2011″ for its outstanding versatility, made possible with the 25-300mm LEICA DC lens and a host of options that enhances the user’s enjoyment of the photographic experience.
“This award for the G2 demonstrates how much Panasonic has achieved in a short time with the G Series. This is such a fresh and innovative camera with features that are in touch with today’s users.Our TZ Series continues to go from strength to strength, with GPS the latest feature to add additional convenience for the LUMIX community, and versatile and creative shooting functions true to the LUMIX philosophy of making it simple to achieve pleasing results.” Alistair Robins, Group Marketing Manager, LUMIX, Panasonic Australia
Announcing six new panasonic LUMIX additions to the LX, FZ, FX and FT range
We’re really excited to announce a raft of new LUMIX cameras across the LX, FZ, FX and FT series. The new models were released today amid a circus fanfare and you can see the whole event below:
Here is an overview of all the new models:
The LX5
The LX5 is the successor to the worldwide acclaimed LX3, and is the ideal camera for any imaginative photographer looking to create amazing images and high definition movies, with greater creative control. New features of the LX5 include a redesigned lens, CCD and image processing engine, AVHCD Lite HD video recording, a redesigned body and full manual controls.
LUMIX LX5
“The new LX5 is the ultimate creative compact and we are so excited that it will finally hit Australian shores in September. The LX3 really earned a cult following and we are confident that the LX5 will be received with equal enthusiasm” Alistair Robins, Group Marketing Manager LUMIX, Panasonic Australia
As a pocket camera perfect for professionals and high-level amateurs, or as an advanced camera for step-up users, the DMC-LX5 offers stunning picture quality and creativity made possible by Panasonic’s state-of-the-art optical and digital technologies.
We are also pleased to announce two new releases in the FZ series, the FZ 100 and the FZ40. Both models feature a powerful optical zoom and creative functions including manual operation. Both models offer versatile photo and movie modes to satisfy beginners and enthusiasts alike, with the DMC-FZ100 offering Full HD AVCHD recording.
LUMIX FZ100
“The FZ100 and FZ40 are exciting new offerings in the FZ range. Being creative is key to being a good photographer, and these cameras allow users to really express themselves and have more fun and control over not only how they shoot their still images but their movies as well.” Alistair Robins, Group Marketing Manager LUMIX, Panasonic Australia
The popular FX Series also has two new models in the range -- the slim and stylish DMC-FX700 and DMC-FX75. Both models feature a super bright ultra wide-angle 24mm LEICA lens with a 5x zoom, intuitive touch-control shooting, and FULL HD AVCHD movie recording on the DMC-FX700.
LUMIX FX700
“With touch control, Panasonic’s renowned iA, and the fantastic new Motion Deblur mode, the FX Series will become a firm favourite among those who want a sleek and stylish compact but don’t want to compromise on the quality of their images. The DMC-FX700 and DMC-FX75 deliver on both counts” Richard Phillips, Product Marketing Manager, LUMIX, Panasonic Australia
We’ve also extended our popular range of tough cameras with the introduction of the exciting new LUMIX DMC-FT10. The slim, stylish 14.1 megapixel camera is waterproof to a depth of 3m, shockproof to 1.5m, freeze proof to -10º C and dustproof.
LUMIX FT10
Features include HD Movie Recording in 720p Motion JPEG and a dedicated Intelligent Auto (iA) button on top of the camera body, The FT10 also has a 4x optical zoom LUMIX DC lens (35mm film camera equivalent, 35-140mm) and is a powerful camera that packs advanced imaging features to seize any photographic opportunity. It incorporates an easy-to-see, 2.7-inch LCD screen with an anti-reflective coating for comfortable viewing. The FT10 will be available in black and red as well as the traditional blue.
“This new addition to our FT tough family is a fantastic milestone, with ruggedised design, great image quality and convenient movie recording capabilities at such an affordable price” Richard Phillips, Product Marketing Manager, LUMIX, Panasonic Australia
