Audi Hamilton Is Race Week and the 3 second race

by Rob Mundle on 21 Apr 2008 Adelaide’s Geoff Boettcher is determined to see his campaign for top honour’s in the Grand Prix IRC division at this year’s 25th Anniversary Edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week lasts more than three seconds.

That was the extent of his racing at the regatta last year.

After the well-proven racer, Secret Men’s Business 2, was sailed all the way from Adelaide to Hamilton Island for Race Week, it was unceremoniously crushed in a collision on the start line just three seconds into the very first contest. Boettcher and his crew were not at fault, but with that their regatta was over. The yacht could not be repaired in time to re-enter the competition.

The incident wasn’t enough to deter Boettcher from what he sees as Australia’s premier keelboat regatta. This year he will be back with an exciting new 47-footer, Secret Men’s Business 3, and he has top honours in the upper echelon of the series, the Grand Prix IRC division, as his goal.

His first challenge, however, will be to get clear of the start line in the first race.

“We’ll take anything better than 3.5 seconds of racing this year,” he said with a laugh. “After that, everything will be a bonus.”

Secret Men’s Business 3 is one of two brand new yachts already entered and being specially prepared for Race Week 2008. The other is Alegria, an Archambault 40RC owned by Rod Jones, from Brisbane, the current Audi IRC Australian Ocean Racing Champion.

The series will be staged from August 23 to 30 on the magnificent tropical waters that envelop the Whitsundays islands, where Hamilton Island is the centrepiece.

Boettcher’s yacht was designed by Reichel/Pugh, from America, and has been created specifically for regatta racing. She is a development of two well-proven racers, Beau Geste, owned by Hong Kong’s Karl Kwok – which was at Race Week last year – and Bruce Taylor’s smaller Chutzpah, out of Melbourne.

The new Alegria is due to arrive in Brisbane by ship from Europe in two weeks. She is a larger version of Jones’ Audi IRC Australian Championship winning yacht from last season. His plan is to tune the yacht in Brisbane before heading for Hamilton Island, where she will get her first serious taste of racing in Australia.

Early indications are that the best Grand Prix level IRC fleet Australia has seen will be assembled at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week this year, and that means both Secret Men’s Business 3 and Alegria will be put to the complete test.

This year sees German luxury carmaker, Audi, taking naming rights of Australia’s premier offshore regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week, for the second time.

Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s recent sailing initiatives led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.

Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, said that having the new yachts in the IRC racing fleet will make for an interesting contest at the 2008 event.

“We are keen supporters of spirited competition and the IRC Grand Prix fleet looks set to offer exactly this high level of racing,” Hoffman said, “and our national championship will add an extra dimension to an already great regatta at Hamilton Island.

“From the smallest to the largest yacht, Audi is always quick to encourage a challenge. The best-possible outcome for the event, and the national championship, will be a stiff competition between fast boats and an experienced crew. This kind of showdown is also great for spectators.”

Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s new initiatives has led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.

Hamilton Island is continuing to expand in spectacular fashion via major upgrades in accommodation, and the development of new facilities. Among the new projects being undertaken is the spectacular 18-hole Hamilton Island Golf Course, and the impressive Hamilton Island Yacht Club complex. The first significant development to be established under the new plan, ‘qualia’, is a world class resort situated on the secluded northern most tip of the island.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.

All regatta information is available on the website: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au