Sail-World.com : A bloody great place to go sailing - Wolverines
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A bloody great place to go sailing - Wolverines |
Magnetic Island Race Week organisers have issued a warning to all competitors in this year’s event; the Wolverines are coming and they plan to turn on one hell of a party.
John Clinton and his team aboard Holy Cow! are travelling north to Magnetic Island for what they expect will be a brilliant week of racing and fun.
'We are planning to make a mark on Magnetic Island. If you talk to the average sailor they haven’t been north of Hamilton with their boat. We are sort of putting the word around, hey, this is the year to do it because the Wolverines are going up there with the Holy Cow!,' Clinton says.
Clinton will cruise to Magnetic Island after competing in the Hamilton Island regatta. A few days of recuperation enjoying the island and his crew will be ready for the regatta start on 5th September.
'Usually people head south after Hamo, but what every sailor will tell you is usually you have to battle against southerlies for a week or two.
'With us going up to Magnetic Island I reckon we are going to dodge all that. We are going to be able to shoot the kite and get up to the island. By the time we finish the regatta I think the northerlies will have kicked in. It is going to be great,' Clinton says.
Fleet numbers are growing
The inaugural Magnetic Island Race Week attracted a fleet of 23 boats.
In 2008 event organisers are expecting 40 boats to compete across the five racing divisions – IRC, PHS, Cruising Spinnaker, Cruising Non-spinnaker and Sportboats.
With the Preliminary Notice of Race already available for download from the event website interest in the race week is coming from Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, New Zealand and Asia.
It’s a serious business having fun
When the Holy Crew team are not racing in the Cruising with Spinnaker division they will be entertaining the fleet on three nights starting with the welcome party to be held at the Peppers Blue on Blue resort adjacent to the new marina in Nelly Bay.
The magic in the Wolverines music comes from the way in which they relate to the sailing crowd. They hone in on the sailors, singing about sailing and what happens out on the water often taking the micky out of themselves and the rest of the fleet.
 | Wolverines Sail for Kids Tour - |
Their latest album Occasional Coarse Language, released in January 2008, continues to profile their love of sailing with songs like S**t, we broke the rudder, Boats, bikes and bulls**t and always a sailing crowd favourite, What bloody great day to go sailing.
Many a regatta competitor will attest to the fun they have with the Wolverines during post-race celebrations. Sore feet and croaky voices are all part of getting in there and enjoying the fun of the band and their music.
Dig a bit deeper though and you start to realise the Wolverines also putt something back into the communities they entertain.
 | Wolverines Sail for Kids Tour - |
As they cruise up the NSW and Queensland coast towards their Whitsunday regatta destinations the band play to local communities often using those concerts to raise funds for local kids.
'On our trip north last year we raised over $35,000 for kids. We raise money for someone who has had a bad trot and usually we find they are outside (the system) or something has happened to them in the last few days.'
The funds are raised through the auctioning of items donated by sponsors and the band.
'It is a pleasure to be able to help them. We don’t publicise it much but quite often we take disadvantaged kids out for a bit of a sail while we are in port,' Clinton says.
 | It’s a serious business having fun ! - Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week 2008 - John Clinton |
 | The Wolverines latest album, released in Jan 2008, is aptly called Occasional Coarse Language - Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week 2008 - John Clinton |
Travel north in company
The Holy Cow! crew welcome sailors travelling north for the winter to stay in contact with them and perhaps stop off at the places where the Wolverines are playing. Perhaps even travel in company with them north to the beautiful Magnetic Island.
Wolverine concert locations and dates can be found on their website www.wolverines.com.au or by contacting John Clinton by email holycow@sailingaustralia.com.au
Regatta dates
5th to 9th September 2008
Regatta website
www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
Event Manager
Debbie Dodd
Direct: 07 4726 0840
Mob: 0407 036 383
Fax: 07 4721 0837
Email: debbied@sunferries.com.au
Principal Race Officer
Denis Thompson
E: dthomp@ozemail.com.au
Sailing Enquiries:
Townsville Cruising Yacht Club
P:(07) 4772 1192
Or Mark Vickers at markvickers@optusnet.com.au
Media Director
Rob Kothe +612 49772116
media@sail-world.com
by Event Media
8:39 AM Sat 31 May 2008 GMT
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