2014 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - Cruise control

by Lisa Ratcliff on 24 Aug 2014 2014 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - It was the year of the cruisers at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, though the word ‘cruise’ is misleading. A cutthroat finish to the regatta on day six, Saturday August 23, 2014, brought out this division’s competitive edge at the critical part of the regatta.

Overall regatta numbers were boosted by 29 entries over last year thanks to growth in the cruising and multihull divisions. The standard of the cruising boats coming to Hamilton Island over the past five years has also increased considerably.

Downwind starts in downwind current in Dent Passage are where many cruisers, and racers, have in the past come unstuck. Barely a boat was caught out this year for misjudging and jumping the start before the signal sounded, an encouraging trend noticed by the race management team

A 16 knot average SSE tradewinds generated a final and very spectacular spinnaker start in Dent Passage yesterday, Saturday August 23, 2014, for the cruising fleet, which left the channel adjacent to Hamilton Island carrying a plethora of rainbow coloured kites.

Cruising

It was Charles Cupit’s Bavaria 45 Three C’s that had the last hoorah overall in cruising division one, coming in ahead of Four Bells and Infinity.

Division two skipper Peter Byford and his three-month-old L’esprit pipped Boadicca by one point in a nail-biting race on day six of racing. Byford has raced in five Audi Hamilton Island Race Weeks but had never tasted success. 'I’ve never been on a podium in five years,' he said. 'We are over the moon.'

The 46-footer’s crew of 11 included two of Byford’s sons. 'They are 36 and 31 years old. I’ve been sailing with them since they were seven. It’s got better as we’ve all got older,' he laughed.

The crew demonstrated their competitiveness when they continued to the finish line in fresh breezes on day five having offloaded a crewman who had taken the top of his finger off in an accident.

In cruising division three, it was the magic produced by Wizard of the Wind that hailed the Brisbane crew as champions. Skipper Michael Waldie said the Catalina 42 showed she had the goods on the final day of racing. 'We are stoked, it was fantastic. We worked better and better every day, that was the highlight of the week. Also, the Piper Heidsieck lunch at qualia was amazing.'

The 14-year-old boat, built in California, competed last year but didn’t pick up any silverware. Armed with some brand new sails and three fresh crewmembers, it was their turn this year. There was one bumpy moment during the six-day regatta that didn’t have the crew laughing, though. 'We had to evict a snorer from our apartment and onto the boat. It was affecting the performance,' Waldie chuckled.

Second placed Synergy may not have taken the gold but they got the surprise of a lifetime when a whale showed its belly right in front of their boat.

Oasis rolled in third for division three overall results.

Cruising non-spinnaker

Still Dangerous proved their moniker is apt with victory in non-spinnaker division one, beating Russian skipper Mikhail Beleoborodov in his Sunsail boat, Rhythm. Skipper Ivor Burgess was thrilled with his second division win in four years.

The odds of taking out the competition weren’t looking good on the final day. 'We didn’t think we had a cat’s chance in hell on the final morning with the handicap. It was very tough competition out there, we had the Russian crew behind us and it was an international contest. We were sailing for Australia,' he laughed.

The 74-year-old, who has raced in five Audi Hamilton Island Race Weeks, said sailing at Hamilton Island was a luxury he and his mates treasured. 'The week was great; there were beautiful sails, scenery and blue water. It was just beautiful, it’s magic. We’ve had a lot of parties.'

The 45-footer is a favourite toy for Burgess’ and his veteran crew from Sydney. 'One of the crew members said to me ‘Ivor, you are saving some elderly guys from a boring retirement’,' he said.

Division two saw 46-foot Supertramp take out the top spot overall. The Mooloolaba-based boat was steered by Alan Pick, accompanied by his wife Sue.

Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson commented on the standard of the cruisers, 'The level of sailing has lifted considerably over the last five years. Ten years ago we’d get boats turning up 15 minutes late for the start with whatever sails they had up. Now we’ve got a lot of privately owned cruises/racers, Beneteaus, Jenneaus, Bavarias all with the latest sails.'

Complete Results:

Cruising Div 1

Series Results [EHC Div1] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Boat Name	Sail Num	Skipper	Sers Score	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		THREE C'S	B45	Charles Cupit	35.0	3.0	2.0	7.0	[31.0]	15.0	8.0
2		FOUR BELLS	6408	David Bell	46.0	[29.0]	10.0	9.0	4.0	20.0	3.0
3		INFINITY	AUS52	Edward Fader	49.0	4.0	12.0	25.0	5.0	3.0	[28.0]
4	4.0S	SMOOTH OPERATOR	SB509	Russell Durham	51.0	12.0	11.0	17.0	[20.0]	4.0	7.0
5		TAKANI	6981	James Whittle	51.0	7.0	13.0	5.0	13.0	[26.0]	13.0
6		SPIRIT	SIN230	Paul Blakeley	55.0	2.0	6.0	16.0	22.0	9.0	[30.0]
7		COOPERS	BOW30	Craig Watson	58.0	18.0	[25.0]	13.0	14.0	7.0	6.0
8		ANTIPODES OF SYDNEY	500	Greg Newton	59.0	1.0	23.0	18.0	6.0	[27.0]	11.0
9	2.0S	HELSAL3	262	Rod Fisher	62.0	21.0	19.0	15.0	2.0	5.0	[29.0]
10		MISS MINX	0505	Chris & Lauren Thorpe	62.0	[26.0]	17.0	10.0	7.0	8.0	20.0
11		THAT BOAT	6782	Darryle Dransfield	63.0	11.0	30.0	[32.0]	10.0	10.0	2.0
12	9.0S	VANILLA	BOW17	David Perkins	64.0	9.0	1.0	19.0	21.0	14.0	[22.0]
13	1.0S	VITESSE	1021	Ian Thomson	64.0	10.0	24.0	[28.0]	12.0	17.0	1.0
14		ARGO BLUE	C1	George Snow	64.0	15.0	16.0	12.0	16.0	[34.0F]	5.0
15		TARDIS	6585	Stephen Richardson	66.0	17.0	9.0	[29.0]	24.0	12.0	4.0
16		BUNDABERG	G16	John Kint	69.0	14.0	26.0	3.0	8.0	[31.0]	18.0
17		CONDOR	KB80	David Molloy	70.0	22.0	5.0	26.0	11.0	6.0	[31.0]
18	1.0S	MAXI RAGAMUFFIN	7007	Keith Batt	74.0	8.0	33.0	30.0	1.0	2.0	[33.0]
19		VELOCE	1027	Dean Corbett	74.0	5.0	3.0	21.0	18.0	[34.0F]	27.0
20	6.0S	SECOND NATURE	BOW01	Paul Mentiplay	75.0	24.0	18.0	6.0	[27.0]	18.0	9.0
21		SIR THOMAS SOPWITH	6892	Heath Walters	75.0	13.0	[27.0]	11.0	26.0	13.0	12.0
22	7.0S	WHITEBIRDS	788	Paul / Robert White / Bird	76.0	28.0	7.0	8.0	9.0	24.0	[32.0]
23		HOLY COW!	6797	John & Kim Clinton	76.0	[23.0]	14.0	14.0	19.0	19.0	10.0
24		CHAMPAGNE	SM45	Chris Barlow	77.0	6.0	29.0	4.0	17.0	[29.0]	21.0
25		ANTIPODES AUSTRALIS	CY200	John Culshaw	78.0	[27.0]	15.0	1.0	23.0	16.0	23.0
26		BIDDY HU 11	R187	Paul Lindemann	82.0	20.0	4.0	20.0	[25.0]	22.0	16.0
27		TONIC	6842	Robert Pizzie	85.0	[34.0C]	8.0	2.0	30.0	30.0	15.0
28		SILVER MINX	331	Geoff & Vicki Player	87.0	19.0	[28.0]	23.0	15.0	11.0	19.0
29		PHARLAP	8885	Alexander Spencer	94.0	[34.0C]	32.0	33.0	3.0	1.0	25.0
30		CEO1	BOW03	Ray Sweeney	96.0	16.0	21.0	24.0	[32.0]	21.0	14.0
31		SAILING ADVENTURES	BOW02	Brian Pozzey	117.0	25.0	20.0	27.0	[29.0]	28.0	17.0
32		KIND OF BLUE	BOW23	Phillip Somerville	130.0	30.0	22.0	31.0	[33.0]	23.0	24.0
33		MISS DEVEREUX	BOW04	Chris Butchers	132.0	31.0	[31.0]	22.0	28.0	25.0	26.0

 Cruising Div 2

Series Results [EHC Div2] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Boat Name	Sail Num	Skipper	Sers Score	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		L'ESPRIT	7041	Peter Byford	20.0	4.0	1.0	3.0	[10.0]	7.0	5.0
2		BOADICCA	7717	Jason Antill	21.0	2.0	5.0	8.0	[13.0]	3.0	3.0
3		ENCORE	00100	Tim Lewis Jim Milledge	24.0	5.0	6.0	2.0	[15.0]	4.0	7.0
4		ZOE	98	Wayne Millar	36.0	1.0	20.0	[23.0]	2.0	1.0	12.0
5		ROGUE	826	Peter Hrones	37.0	6.0	21.0	[22.0]	4.0	2.0	4.0
6	1.0S	THE POACHER	MK6	John Foster	38.0	3.0	18.0	[18.0]	1.0	15.0	1.0
7		ONE O NINE	1109	Robert Salteri	38.0	11.0	2.0	4.0	5.0	[19.0]	16.0
8		VIRAGO II	6813	Dave Rooke	40.0	[15.0]	3.0	11.0	7.0	5.0	14.0
9		KITE RUNNER	11000	Phil Jobe	48.0	18.0	9.0	1.0	14.0	[22.0]	6.0
10		SALACIA	RQ1600	Stephen Everett	52.0	8.0	19.0	16.0	3.0	6.0	[22.0]
11		AVVENTURA	7044	Peter Mumford	53.0	13.0	8.0	10.0	[21.0]	9.0	13.0
12		SOLUTIONS	3242	Stephen Dadour	56.0	7.0	11.0	12.0	[23.0]	11.0	15.0
13		PILGRIM	E226	Paul Ley	57.0	20.0	7.0	6.0	8.0	16.0	[21.0]
14		MOONSHINE	2118	Allan McClintock	58.0	16.0	15.0	5.0	20.0	[23.0]	2.0
15		MAKO	WS40	Cameron Wiklund	59.0	10.0	10.0	14.0	12.0	13.0	[19.0]
16		ERESSEA	6590	John Bankart	61.0	12.0	[22.0]	15.0	18.0	8.0	8.0
17		FLYINGFISH LET LOOSE	M604	Jonathan Threlfall	66.0	14.0	13.0	7.0	[22.0]	21.0	11.0
18		CARPE DIEM	SM1750	Paul Commins	67.0	19.0	4.0	9.0	17.0	18.0	[20.0]
19		SAILTIME SWIFT	447	Graham Raspass Anthony Bishop	68.0	9.0	16.0	[21.0]	16.0	10.0	17.0
20		PRIME EXAMPLE	214	Leigh Dorrington	69.0	17.0	14.0	20.0	6.0	12.0	[23.0]
21		DRAKES PRAYER	RQ6165	Rod Johannessen	71.0	[24.0C]	17.0	19.0	11.0	14.0	10.0
22	9.0S	RUN RUN RUN	SM2800	James Heywood	79.0	24.0C	[24.0C]	17.0	9.0	20.0	9.0
23		SHAZAM	PD447	Doug Ryan	79.0	[24.0F]	12.0	13.0	19.0	17.0	18.0

Cruising Div 3

Series Results [EHC Div3] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Sail Num	Boat Name	Skipper	Sers Score	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		934	WIZARD OF THE WIND	Michael Waldie	22.0	1.0	10.0	[10.0]	1.0	7.0	3.0
2		RQ410	SYNERGY	Ron James	24.0	2.0	7.0	4.0	5.0	[10.0]	6.0
3		662	OASIS	Merv Stephensen	27.5	3.0	8.0	[15.0]	3.5	5.0	8.0
4		6702	JOIE DE VIE	Rob Aldis	31.0	4.0	4.0	[17.0]	12.0	1.0	10.0
5		RQ1982	OSCARS RIDE	Peter Driml	34.0	[16.0]	14.0	6.0	2.0	8.0	4.0
6		6990	GREAT WHITE	Bob Penty	35.0	8.0	9.0	3.0	6.0	[13.0]	9.0
7		MB643	BAD HABITS	Barry Thompson	40.0	10.0	[16.0]	12.0	7.0	4.0	7.0
8		8047	PEGGY	Benjamin Meakin	41.5	11.0	[20.0]	16.0	3.5	9.0	2.0
9		6632	PSYCHO 11	Philip Bates	43.0	6.0	6.0	11.0	8.0	12.0	[12.0]
10		448	FLY 'N HIGH	Gary Bruce	43.5	7.0	[27.0F]	20.5	9.0	6.0	1.0
11		5050	MANDALA	Gerard Webb	47.0	5.0	12.0	[18.0]	11.0	3.0	16.0
12	2.0S	B48	KARM	Ray Nankervis	57.0	17.0	1.0	2.0	17.0	20.0	[22.0]
13	1.0S	BOW06	KARMA	David Angus	57.0	14.0	3.0	1.0	18.0	21.0	[23.0]
14		1566	ELYSIUM	Dean Hansen	57.0	12.0	18.0	[24.0]	20.0	2.0	5.0
15		BOW18	ESCAPADE	Mike Schmidt	62.0	[20.0]	13.0	9.0	15.0	11.0	14.0
16		6421	POHONO	Andrew Williams	63.0	15.0	5.0	[20.5]	10.0	15.0	18.0
17		6294	INEZ	Ian Ritchie	67.0	21.0	2.0	[23.0]	14.0	17.0	13.0
18		PH385	VALHALLA	Peter Cox	75.0	9.0	27.0C	5.0	[27.0C]	14.0	20.0
19		BOW07	KAOS	Duncan Blake	78.0	[27.0F]	15.0	7.0	16.0	16.0	24.0
20		19	JO	Mark Bucknall	79.0	18.0	21.0	8.0	13.0	19.0	[21.0]
21		276	STARKERS	Alan Stark	80.0	[27.0C]	11.0	13.0	19.0	18.0	19.0
22		C192	NORTHERN MOMENT	Vic Stevens	92.0	13.0	27.0F	19.0	22.0	[27.0F]	11.0
23		3900	SATISFACTION	James Hogan	94.0	27.0F	17.0	14.0	21.0	[27.0F]	15.0
24		T92	VAN DEMON	Steve Woodfine	101.0	19.0	19.0	22.0	24.0	[27.0F]	17.0
25		M	BANSHEE	Rob & Kerry Kasmarik	131.0	27.0C	27.0C	27.0F	23.0	27.0F	[27.0F]
26		BOW20	WILDFLOWER2	Dan Clougherty	133.0	27.0C	27.0C	25.0	27.0C	27.0F	[27.0C]

Non Spinnaker Div 1

Series Results [EHC Div1] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Boat Name	Sail Num	Skipper	Sers Score	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		STILL DANGEROUS	7022	Ivor Burgess	12.0	4.0	3.0	[10.0]	2.0	1.0	2.0
2		RHYTHM	BOW05	Mikhail Beloborodov	13.0	3.0	[16.0C]	1.0	4.0	4.0	1.0
3	5.0S	MIM	450	Mike Walter	21.0	1.0	7.0	[7.0]	5.0	3.0	5.0
4		JEMSON	SM301	Andrew Molnar	21.0	5.0	1.0	6.0	3.0	[7.0]	6.0
5		GEOMATIC ALLEGRO	6723	Adrian Lewis	22.0	7.0	9.0	[11.0]	1.0	2.0I	3.0
6		NAMADGI	C444	Michael Martin	27.0	2.0	8.0	4.0	[9.0]	6.0	7.0
7	4.0S	PRIORITIES	BOW12	Tim Butler	31.0	8.0	[16.0F]	2.0	8.0	9.0	4.0
8		YANTARA	SM107	Mike Sheppard	31.0	9.0	2.0	5.0	7.0	8.0	[9.0]
9		MISTA GYBE	W888	Linda Gorry	40.0	6.0	4.0	8.0	6.0	16.0C	[16.0C]
10		SMART CHOICE	H50	Smart Christine	50.0	[16.0C]	6.0	14.0	10.0	10.0	10.0
11		HURRICA V	1924	Steve Gunns	56.0	16.0F	10.0	3.0	11.0	16.0F	[16.0F]
12		CURLEW ESCAPE	RQ67	Scott Turner	57.0	16.0C	16.0C	12.0	[16.0F]	5.0	8.0
13		SASSAFRAS	GBR96767	Andrew Senn	62.0	16.0C	5.0I	9.0	16.0C	16.0F	[16.0C]
14		CONDESA	BOW19	Mark Gaskell	77.0	16.0F	16.0F	13.0	16.0R	16.0C	[16.0F]
15		SOUTHERN SWELL	B1	Geoff Adams	80.0	16.0F	16.0C	16.0C	16.0C	16.0C	[16.0C]

Non Spinnaker Div 2

Series Results [EHC Div2] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Boat Name	Sail Num	Skipper	Sers Score	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		SUPERTRAMP	6678	Sue & Alan Pick	7.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	[2.0]
2		CZECH MATE	6361	Phil Dressler	17.0	2.0	[8.0]	7.0	3.0	2.0	3.0
3		UNTAMED	8	John Parkes	18.0	3.0	[11.0]	9.0	2.0	3.0	1.0
4		PLAYLIST	BOW08	Matt Powell	23.0	5.0	5.0	1.0	6.0	[15.0F]	6.0
5	3.0S	RENATA	BOW16	Lachlan Jackson	30.0	[15.0C]	10.0	3.0	4.0	9.0T	4.0
6		CHAMPAGNE	326	Allen Richards	30.0	7.0N	7.0	5.0	7.0	4.0	[7.0]
7		BULA!	BOW14	Fabian Baez	31.0	4.0	1.0	[11.0]	8.0	9.0T	9.0
8	4.0S	KRYSTAL	B178	Mark Strobel	35.0	11.0T	4.0	6.0	5.0	9.0T	[11.0]
9		CHAMPS ELYSEES	4151	Ray Fraser	35.0	6.0	6.0	8.0	10.0	5.0	[10.0]
10		IDLE TIME	588	Mal Dennis	42.0	15.0C	3.0	4.0	15.0C	[15.0F]	5.0
11		REVE	BOW11	Keith Cooper	47.0	[15.0C]	9.0	10.0	11.0	9.0T	8.0
12		SANUK 11	547	Harvey Michael	54.0	8.0	12.0	13.0N	9.0	[15.0F]	12.0
13		KEITA	BOW21	David Barnes	57.0	11.0T	[15.0C]	12.0	12.0	9.0T	13.0
14		RUBY CHARLOTTE	A65	Jonathan Hickling	75.0	15.0F	15.0C	15.0F	15.0F	15.0F	[15.0F]