Large spectator fleet heading north for boat watching season

by John Curnow on 29 Mar 2016 I’m absolutely not going to lay claim to the phrase. It is insanely apt and hilarious, all at the same time, however. Well then, boat watching season is definitely upon us once more. The whales will soon be gathering again off the coast of Queensland to observe all manner of racing and cruising craft as they head North for a Winter in the sun.

The old yarn about two boats heading in the same direction comes to mind about now. During a delivery to Mackay, a boat came up over the horizon astern of us. We scrambled around to find the kite, which was buried way down in the lazarette, and subsequently the race was on. As a racer, I saw all this stuff, now up on deck in the sun, and if there were any questions as to why the performance of the 44-foot vessel was so stunted, well they totally evaporated like the cold cans presented to you at Constitution Dock.

Anyway, as it turns out, not too far North of Yeppoon the whales came out to see what all the fuss was about. They had been watching for a little while, but when they came up for air it was certainly time to get the sails on the deck, fire the iron topsail and do what you must do in that part of the world. Check out the whales checking out you! All the while observing the appropriate rules and regulations as to distance and manoeuvring, etc.

Up North amongst the world-renowned and heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, some 30 species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) use the area as their breeding grounds from May to September. One of the most famous is the Humpback, of which around 7000 make the epic journey from Antarctica. It is thought there are around 10,000 all together, which is a bit under half the pre-whaling numbers, but seeing as they got down to just a few hundred, it is a good start. Other species include dwarf Minkes, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales false killer whales, killer whales and various beaked whales.

Bottlenose dolphins are among the most commonly sighted, but there are also Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Australian snubfin dolphins, spinner dolphins, and pan-tropical spotted dolphins. Note to boaters of all kinds, not all dolphins love to play in your bow wave, so never chase them, nor get between whale mothers and calves. Equally, if you observe a sudden change in behaviour, then move away immediately, but slowly and carefully. To investigate all the requirements within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park a bit further, please check out - http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/responsible-reef-practices/caring-for-the-reef

One Skipper recently recounted a story to me from back in the day when the first leg was known as the Sydney to Southport. They were in close and running beaches to avoid the significant Southerly flow and he wanted to tack, but the crew on the rail quickly yelled no. The reason was a large mammal and he told me that the whales considered the headlands as their best vantage points for boat watching. In that and subsequent races, he would often be forced to run the Diesel (yes, in neutral) to give a sound signal to our marine friends, especially so at night.

At any rate, boat watching season starts with the Sydney to Gold Coast run on July 30 and then shortly after that there is RQ’s Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race on August 5. Airlie Beach Race Week (11-18 August), Hammo (20-27 August) and Magnetic Island (1-6 September) all follow. The B2K is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, as too for Magnetic Island, whereas Hammo has been around since 1984 and Airlie has its origins dating back to 1990.

Now the fleet heads North in the predominantly Sou’East Trades that blow at the time, but the Nor’easters, which are perfect for the return run South are not really established until mid September. Early in the piece, owners would leave the boats for at least a month after Hamilton Island Race Week and then return with a fresh crew to head back. Nowadays, hanging North until post Magnetic Island Race Week at least makes the Southern passage much more enjoyable.

So there it is. Ultimately the whales watch the boats begin to head South in readiness for Summer, and also that other thing. The Hobart. Now before we move on, not everyone heads North by sea. Some are on the highway, as is the case with the Etchells, who have the Brisbane Fleet Championships commencing on April 30. Then there is the rest of their Winter Series on the weekends of 16/17 July along with 27/28 August, and a thing called the Australasian Championship in the middle of that cycle. It is possibly best known as the mid-Winters, but a good fleet always attends, with many using the Etchells base at RQ for a springboard to Mooloolaba on 9-12 June.

Well there it is; so much racing and such little time… Better get onto earning those Brownie Points. Mow the lawn, buy the flowers, cook the dinner, pick up the kids, hang out the washing, walk the dog, etc. Great racing in warm climes with sensational blue water awaits you.