Magnetic Island Race Week set to boom

by Rob Kothe on 8 Aug 2007 Judging by the interstate and international interest received for Far North Queensland's latest regatta, we might have a sailing tiger by the tail.

The inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week, which has been organised by the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club, starts on September 7th 2007 with strong entries coming from the length of Queensland and pleasing numbers coming from the southern states.

This year, from the still growing entry lists, the boat that will travel the farthest to compete is Harold Clark’s highly competitive Farr 1104 Invincible, which regularly outguns her Rolex Sydney to Hobart rivals at Sailing South Week in Hobart.

The largest boat expected to be on the start line is Hogs Breath Café’s founder Don Algie's luxuriouis pocket maxi Storm II. The Warwick 66 has won her division on many occasions at what is now Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, now in its 18th year. This regatta is the largest sporting event in Airlie Beach each year and provides a significant boot to the region's economy.

Recognising the contribution the Far North Queensland fleets have made to Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach Race Weeks, Don Algie is keen to support the first venture into the national racing circuit being taken by Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week in 2007.

Event Founder Terry Dodds, the Managing Director of Sun Ferries and the major backer of the event commented today, ‘We’ve been very pleased with the 2007 response, it's clear we will have a good fleet with more southern boats than we expected.

‘We are taking the long term view and the exciting thing is the number of international and southern boats who have said they will be on the start line next year.’

Numbers of the 250+ race boats that will be circulating in the Whitsundays over the next two weeks, have expressed interest in the Magnetic Island series.

Amongst these are two exciting Reichel Pugh designed Melges 24s with Western Australian and American sailors keen to dip their toes in the azure blue waters of Cleveland Bay. Heath Walter’s from Melges Asia-Pacific said today, ‘ We will try and get to Townsville and Magnetic Island this year. Right now we are scrambling for crew. '

Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Director Denis Thompson said a few minutes ago 'We have decided to extend the time for race entries as there are numbers of boats who will be racing at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, who are keen to race at Magnetic Island but are still juggling crews.’

While this year’s Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week fleet will not be huge by Whitsunday standards, the fleet is certain to grow. As New Zealander Rob Bassett, the owner of the gun boat the Bakewell White 52 Wired which will hit the start line on Airlie Beach’s Pioneer Bay, said last week, 'We come 2,000 nautical miles to north Queensland to race in T-shirts in our winter; we don't want to go home, we want to be able to race a circuit.'

And a circuit they shall have! For more information on Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week go to www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au

Skippers keen to experience the delights of Far North Queensland sailing can still enter, but they need to be quick!!

Event Manager:
Antoinette Woods
Challenge National
PO Box 420, Townsville QLD 4810
Phone 07 4721 4222 Fax: 07 4721 4666
Mobile 0411 593 877
E: antoinette(at)challengenational.com

Principal Race Officer:
Denis Thompson
E: dthomp(at)ozemail.com.au

All Sailing Enquiries:
Townsville Cruising Yacht Club
P:(07) 4772 1192
E: Graham Donnell - gdonnell(at)ozemail.com.au

Media Director:
Rob Kothe +612 49772116
media(at)sail-world.com