Ha Ha – Laughing all the way to Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014

by Rob Mundle on 14 Apr 2014 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014 - Ha Ha – an 18.8 metre luxury catamaran – looks almost too good to race, but that is exactly what the owner, Christian Ainsworth, is planning to do at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August.

After cruising for 8000 nautical miles over the past two years between Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Whitsundays, as well as to Noumea and back, Ainsworth has decided on a change of pace: he’s going to compete in the Multihull Division at Race Week.

We were at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in 2012, but only as spectators,' said the yacht’s skipper, Col Maslen. 'Christian really liked the sailing he saw, and the tropical feel of the regatta, so he decided we would be there for this year’s series. We are really looking forward to it, not that we are expecting anything spectacular on the race course:

Ha Ha is built for comfort – not for speed.' However, Christian must be hoping that in some small way he can emulate the success his brother, Stephen Ainsworth, has enjoyed at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in recent years, including winning the Grand Prix IRC division in 2010 with his famous 19.2 metre racer, Loki.

Christian’s taste in yachts is obviously very different to his brother’s. Loki is a minimalist ocean racing yacht where comfort comes a distant second to the quest for speed, while Ha Ha is at the absolute opposite end of the sailing spectrum. She is a Lagoon 620 design featuring a flybridge where guests can lounge, an expansive and luxuriously appointed main salon, dining options indoors and outdoors, a highly functional galley, and sleeping cabins that are sumptuously appointed, hotel-style double-berth suites.

This will be the seventh Audi Hamilton Island Race Week for Col Maslen as a competitor, so there’s no doubt he will have plenty of experience to share with the owner.

'I love the atmosphere around Race Week,' he said. 'There’s something for everyone – parties, racing and social functions. I have to say the Charles Heidseick lunch is the glamour event for us outside the sailing. We’ll certainly be making sure we attend this year.'

Ha Ha is the first entry for the Multihull Division at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014. The yacht is currently out of the water on the Gold Coast for annual maintenance. The owner plans to do a casual coastal cruise north to Hamilton Island starting in July.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014 will be staged from August 16 to 23. The regatta is open to the full spectrum of keelboats, sport boats and multihulls.

The Notice of Race, entry form and regatta information are all available on the regatta website.

German luxury brand, Audi, is back for the ninth year at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in 2014. Audi and the sport of sailing go hand in hand, thanks to a shared passion for winning performance, the use of lightweight and progressive materials in construction, and a love of spirited competition. In Australia, the Audi brand has closed 2013 with its ninth consecutive year of growth, supported in part by the Australian sailing community. Throughout Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014, the brand will host a range of events and activities on the island for yacht owners, yacht crews and guests to enjoy.

Event website: click here