Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 3

Fisher's View- Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 1 - Stayin' Alive

by Bob Fisher on 18 Aug 2014
Puerto Rican Lazy Dog crew settle in - MC38 Australian Championship - Audi Hamilton Island Race 2014 Andrea Francolini http://www.afrancolini.com/
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week began in a long-time expected fashion with a light (even perhaps ultra-light) south-easterly breeze for the Round Lindeman Island Race. It was a gentle preparation for the following five days of racing to come, but it provided those of us unused to the venue to absorb the surroundings from the deck of Sandy Oatley’s motor yacht, Andiamo (known irreverently as Sandiamo!).

We watched to 180-odd starters gill for the committee boat start in their various classes and noted that the pin end was favoured and with that the determination of some competitors to be there. One who made it almost to perfection, and on port tack at that, was Marcus Blackmore in the newish MC38 class with the appropriately named (for this particular start) Hooligan. Blackmore went on to be the early leader.

But all good things must come to an end . . . Blackmore continued on his lonely port tack too long – 'I was convinced it was the right way to go,' he said after the race, 'but sadly I was wrong.' The early wind shift had a touch more south in it and the rest of the seven-boat fleet was lifted. Hooligan was never to recover.

IRC-A was first to start and while one can never be certain about the positions on corrected time, the performance of the 66ft Reichel/Pugh designed Alive brought a few raised eyebrows. The black-hulled boat from Hobart was ahead of the massive local favourite, the 100ft supermaxi Wild Oats XI as they approached Lindeman Island and the multi Hobart Race line honours winner had never failed to lead the fleet home here in any race.

One long tack into a port header towards the shore reaped dividends for helmsman Mike Richards to the delight of owner Bob Oatley, who had chosen to race aboard his flyer. As Etchells champion Matt Chew steered Phillip Turner’s boat into Dent Passage, it was clear that Wild Oats had taken over the lead. She was soon to be joined by the AC45 wing-sailed catamaran Wild Oats, but at the finish the early advantage enjoyed by Alive was rewarded with the handicap win. 'The boat loves the light air,' said Chew, 'we are focused on winning the light air races this week, then trying to hang on in the heavier breeze.' More wind is progressively forecast for the Audi sponsored regatta.

The IRC-A boats were the only ones to complete the full course; those in other classes variously had theirs shortened at four different locations as very little more wind materialized.

Those aboard Andiamo were given the opportunity of a quick (at 32 knots) tour of this section of the Whitsunday Islands including the staggeringly beautiful and blindingly white, Whitehaven Beach, a vast stretch of almost pure silica as fine as talcum powder.

No sooner were the boats back in the marina but the crews took full opportunity of the delights ashore to shake off the hours of concentration afloat at the many places that afford shoreside pleasure in glasses.
V-DRY-XHenri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeArmstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - BOTTOM

Related Articles

Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 1
Sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing Tuesday 8th July welcomed the opening day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup in Torquay with sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing.
Posted today at 7:14 am
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique.
Posted today at 6:59 am
Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race.
Posted today at 12:54 am
British Classic Week Day 2
An early start for Classes 1-3 as they prepared to race around the Isle of Wight It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight.
Posted on 8 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 3
The leaderboard tightens at the halfway mark after today's racing in a building breeze After a frustrating day of waiting ashore on Monday, Day 3 brought back the action in Aarhus Bay with spectacular foiling conditions and a full day of intense racing.
Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone.
Posted on 8 Jul
Mediterranean Regatta season in full swing
A+T instruments seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for racing fleets As regatta season gathers speed, A+T instruments were seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for the racing fleets.
Posted on 8 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
Storm cells circling Lake Garda lead to atypical and tricky conditions The 137 sailors representing 25 nations faced the first day of racing in conditions that were anything but typical for Malcesine, with unstable weather creating a complex, yet exciting, opening.
Posted on 8 Jul
Temptation/Oakcliff takes line honours
In a thrilling Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race finish The race delivered fast conditions, high drama, and unforgettable moments on the 363-nautical-mile dash to Nova Scotia.
Posted on 8 Jul
NYYC International Women's Championship update
Teammates and Competitors Join Forces The strength of bonds forged in competition is a common theme among the second group of skippers and teams invited to compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship.
Posted on 8 Jul