Its Magic for the girls at Airlie Beach Race Week

by Shaun Rigby on 22 Aug 2008
A predominately female crew with sailors from every corner of the globe and skippered by an old sea dog from Port Douglas has epitomised what the 19th Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week is all about.

Called Magic, the cruising spinnaker yacht hasn’t won a race all week but this event is about so much more than winning.

Despite being surrounded by 10 gorgeous twenty-something beauties including a sheep farmer from Roma and a fire-fighter from the United States, 62 year old Skipper Doug Ryan believes he is definitely the rose between the thorns.

'It’s been a lot of fun and the girls definitely keep me on my toes but the good thing is they are all very competitive as well,' Doug said.

However the girls are not competitive enough to keep the curfews Doug keeps setting off the water.

'They have problems keeping the curfew but they are always here right on time first thing in the morning and I tell you what I have never had a cleaner boat,' he said.

'I am also pretty confident we are the most popular boat here with the other sailors.'

The girls are pretty good on the water too, Magic was previously called Mayhem and a few years ago an all male crew ran the yacht up onto the reef.

'This regatta has been amazing, we take it seriously on the water and do a pretty good job as well,' said American fire-fighter Angie Johnson.

The girls on Magic are just one of the 107 crews who competed in the final race of this year’s event, hailed as the most successful in history.

Meridien managing director and Rear Commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Russell McCart said the regatta has been amazing both on and off the water.

'The racing has been close and intense and we couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The Whitsundays have been at there magnificent best providing the perfect promotional vehicle for the hundreds of interstate and international visitors here this week,' he said.

Mr McCart said this year’s event is just a taste of things to come and reaffirmed Meridien’s commitment to make this one of Australia’s biggest regattas.

Regatta website: www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au