Sail-World.com : Townsville boats aim to keep the Prizes
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Townsville boats aim to keep the Prizes |
Sailing Regattas around the world are growing into major destination sporting events.
In the Whitsundays more than 300 yachts assemble for two major regattas, the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, and these two events are the largest annual sporting events in the Whitsunday Group.
Yes, there are bigger one day events, but competitors in major regattas are in town for at least a week and often a month or more.
In fact sailing has become so big in the tropical north that some locals suggest that these days the hump back whales come up for the Boat Watching season.
Seasons are in fact what it’s all about, ‘T-shirt and shorts sailing’, while the southerners and Kiwis huddle around their winter fires.
Both Australian and increasingly New Zealand sailors, are sailing thousands of miles into the azure blue Queensland waters with the south east trades providing an easy ride in early August.
Between Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and a few Hayman regattas there have been just on 50 Whitsunday regattas over the last quarter of a century and now the sailors are looking for fresh adventures.
After these regattas the trip south can be less pleasant as sailors don’t like wind on their noses and many of them would rather wait until late September or October, when the north-easters deliver a very enjoyable ride south.
This provides a significant opportunity for the Townsville Region because Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week brings the opportunity for both racing boats and cruising boats, to enjoy a new and fresh event in a beautiful location.
New Zealand Grand Prix racer, Rob Bassett’s Marley Unwired swept aside the competition to take line honours in every race in the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach series and as Bassett says ‘we’ve come 2,000 miles to sunny Queensland; we are not in a hurry to leave.’
There is a total of $30,000 in prizes on offer in this regatta and lining up on Cleveland Bay for the Grand Prix IRC division start line, the Bakewell-White designed 52 footer Marley Unwired represents the greatest threat to Townsville’s own Grand Prix racer, Wayne Millar’s Sydney 41 Zoe.
Though Zoe is a much smaller yacht, Millar and his Townsville Cruising Yacht Club crew, which includes Mark Vickers and Wes Bailey, are keen racers. They were a heart breaking 15 seconds from the overall win in last year’s series and they are keen not to be bridesmaids again.
After a strong finish in their IRC division at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week last week, the Zoe crew are looking to take the Magnetic Island title at their second attempt.
Sailing master Mark Vickers commented this morning, ‘Our biggest challenge will be the Kiwis; if conditions are strong, the 52 footer with a canting keel will be unstoppable off the breeze, but she will come back to the field if conditions are light.
‘We need to be powered up, which we can be in as little as 10 knots. We have a great crew. Young Andrew Torpelund has arrived back from the 2008 Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds in Trogir Croatia where he was the second ranked Australian (finishing) and he will be on bow. Wes Bailey, the Sailing captain of Townsville Cruising Yacht Club will be on mast. Mick Guinea who has just flown back from the F18 Catamaran world titles in Spain, is one of our trimmers and Wayne and I have done a lot of miles together, so we will give this event our best shot.’
There are more local boats with good chances in this class. John Stokes Bavaria Match 38, Mach 1, will be fighting for a podium place; the Bavaria’s have a fine record in IRC handicap racing.
Mike Steel’s Townsville entry, Boudicea the Dufour Performance 34, performed well at Hamilton Island and with Sydney sailor Joel Antill adding his experience to crew, she could upset the bigger boats party. And Leon Guilty will really cause heart-ache if she gets condition that suit her.
The 2008 Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week series starts this Saturday morning.
For news and results go to www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
by Rob Kothe
3:04 AM Thu 4 Sep 2008 GMT
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Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week 2009
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