Whitsunday Rent A Yacht set for action-packed Race Week

by Toni Lucke on 6 Aug 2010 Whitsunday Rent A Yacht (WRAY) charter boat Silhouette, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40, returns to sail in the cruising division at this year's Audi Hamilton Island Race Week – one of seven WRAY charter boats taking part in the action at the August 20-28 event.

WRAY general manager, Alex Hawson, said charterers hoping to witness the spectacle of one of Australia's premier sailing events were in luck with two catamarans, two monohulls and a powerboat still available for charter during this year's event.

'A great way to experience the thrill of Race Week is to charter a boat for a holiday this year, follow the racing boats around the islands and come back next year and book a boat to race,' Ms Hawson said.

'There are spectacular spinnaker starts and a massive flotilla of racing boats from all divisions – it really is quite a sight.'

Silhouette's Victorian-based owner Bruce Griffiths who won his cruising spinnaker division last year and claimed the major Audi A4 Avant car prize is set to return with the same crew of six.

Mr Griffiths, who has been sailing since he was 12, bought Silhouette in 2002 following his family's positive experience of chartering a Jeanneau 40 overseas. Silhouette has been based in the Whitsundays since its purchase and is now in its third season with WRAY. It will return to charter within days of Race Week.

While Mr Griffiths sailed at Race Week for the first time last year, WRAY charterers raced it in previous years, claiming competitive places in various divisions.

'The beauty of chartering is that anyone can do it – even those with little or no experience. It's a fabulous and relatively inexpensive experience for a family,' Mr Griffiths said.

Silhouette's journey to this year's Race Week almost came unstuck earlier this year when it, along with other WRAY vessels, was substantially damaged during Cyclone Ului. It will undergo the finishing touches to its final repairs and be slipped back into the water just a day before Race Week begins.

Other WRAY charter boats competing at the event are Chloe, a Beneteau 323, Coco, a Jeanneau 35, Capricorn, a Bavaria 42, Gigi and La Diva, both Beneteau 43.4s and Latitude, a Beneteau 50.5.

Entries in this year's Race Week close on August 6. An impressive fleet of up to 200 boats is expected to take part.