Fleet assembles for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

by Rob Mundle on 22 Aug 2008 It’s been a week of gold and silver – double Olympic sailing gold and a silver medal yesterday, and the start of the silver anniversary edition of Australia’s best recognised keelboat regatta, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.

The marina at Hamilton Island is filling to capacity as the last of the record fleet of 225 arrive from as far as New Zealand to celebrate the 25th edition of Race Week which commences tonight with the Club Marine Yacht Owner’s Cocktail Party.

The cruising boat crews are busy stocking up on ‘consumables’ while the IRC boats are being trimmed down as they convert from delivery mode to the lighter inshore racing mode for the week-long regatta that has attracted what principale race officer (PRO) Denis Thompson regards as Australia’s best ever grand prix line up.

Owners, racing crews and a smattering of hot shots are landing regularly at the Hamilton Island airstrip and arriving by ferry from Airlie Beach to assist the hard working delivery crews who have spent the last few days checking and tweaking rigs, hauling unwanted sails off the boat and cleaning hulls.

A handful of the high performance end of the fleet has been out for sea trials to reacquaint themselves with the local conditions and to test new sails and gear.

The Mark Richards skippered Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X, one of the favourites for a podium finish in its division, had North Sails’ Michael Coxon on board on Wednesday afternoon during a test sail to check the new swept back spreader rig and top mast backstays which have replaced the runners.

Richards’ pre-regatta advice to the crew was to 'keep our noses clean and hopefully we’ll have something to show for it at the end of the week'.

In an effort to retain the winner’s crown, defending IRC Racing champion, Geoff Ross (Yendys), has installed a new carbon rig, which is being fine-tuned today, and has assembled a high octane blend of name sailors including Sean Kirkjian, Will Oxley, Richie Allanson, Mitch White and New Zealand round the world sailor Stu Clarke.

The 2006 IRC Racing winner with his previous Quantum Racing, Ray Roberts, will arrive today fresh from battle at Airlie Beach with his Cookson 50 of the same name. Roberts sealed the win on a countback at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race week just yesterday afternoon and he and his race ready crew have only today to check the boat over before resuming their quest for the elusive regatta double.
There are, as always, last minute repairs with the crew of Steve Troon’s XLR8 from Melbourne last night awaiting a replacement backstay from Sydney after theirs broke in the final stages of the delivery.

The forecast for the silver jubilee of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which begins tomorrow, Saturday 23, with the UBS Lindeman Island Race, looks promising with moderate to fresh south east trade winds likely for most of the week.

With the lighter boats able to get up and away on the plane in the more moderate conditions, Yendys’ navigator Will Oxley hopes the forecast fresher breezes, up to 30 knots on Sunday, will give them an edge in their campaign for a rare back to back handicap win in this series.

There have a been a number of changes to the popular Whitsunday Islands regatta this year with the IRC fleet split into IRC Grand Prix Division 1 and 2 based on a handicap cut off of 1.303.

Taking tidal considerations into account, Saturday’s 23.5 nautical mile UBS Lindeman Island, the curtain opener of the week-long regatta, will start off Catseye Beach rather than in Dent Passage.

For the same reason, Monday’s 59 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Hayman Island Race will take the fleet north around Hayman Island rather south around Coppersmith Rock, the previous course for the longest race of the series.

'Sending the fleet around Hayman was to keep them in favourable tide,' added PRO
Thompson. 'This year we’ve had a long hard look at the courses and the way the tides are going, plus we have the flexibility of deciding on the course of the day, depending on the conditions.'

Finally, courses 7, 8 and 9 have a 'navigator’s choice' with an alternate course back to home base from one of the most southern points of the course.

As well as a heavy program of racing, broken up by Tuesday’s across the board lay day and a second lay day on Thursday for the non IRC fleet, there is busy schedule ashore for crews and their families. Amongst the highlights are the Collette Dinnigan fashion parade, Todd Woodbridge Ultimate Tennis Experience, UBS Moet & Chandon lunch and Thursday’s famous Whitehaven Beach Party.

Last year’s fleet size was 216 while this year’s 25th anniversary has attracted a 225 boat fleet.

2008 Entry List    Boat Name Type Owner/Charter Home Port IRC Grand Prix Alegria Archambault A40 RC Rodney Jones Mooloolaba Arajilla Archambault 35 Geoff Pearson Sydney Audi Centre Melbourne Corby IRC 49 Chris Dare Melbourne Ausmaid Farr 47 Bruce Absolon Hamilton Island Black Jack Reichel Pugh 66 Peter Harburg Brisbane Bluewater Beneteau First 45 Graham  Jones Port Douglas Carrera Marten49 John Meadowcroft Auckland NZ Cougar ll TP52 Alan Whiteley Melbourne Cracklin Rosie Farr 40 Robert(Robbo) Robertson Brisbane Exile DK46 Nick George Adelaide Hitchhiker Frers 41 Peter Briggs Perth Living Doll Cookson 50 modified Michael Hiatt Melbourne Piping Hot Fast 42' Greg Poole Brisbane Pussy Galore Cookson 50 modified Anatole Masfen Auckland Quantum Racing Cookson 50 Raymond Roberts Sydney Quest TP 52 Bob Steel Sydney Secret Mens Business 3 Reichel Pugh 47 Geoffrey Boettcher Adelaide Shockwave- Club Marine R/P 80 Andrew  Short Sydney Shogun Roger 46 Robert Hanna Geelong Sled Farr 47 Custom Simon Benson Southport Splash Gordon Farr 40 OD Modified Stephen  Ellis Sydney Wild Joe Reichel Pugh 60 Steven David Sydney Wild Oats X Reichel Pugh 66 Robert Oatley Sydney Wired Bakewell-White 52 Rob  Bassett Auckland NZ XLR8 Reichel Pugh 46 Graeme Troon Melbourne Yendys Reichel Pugh 55 Geoffrey Ross Sydney IRC Premier Passage Balance Sydney 47 Paul Clitheroe Sydney Belle IY60 David Currie Melbourne Eagle Rock Beneteau First 47.7 Ross Wilson Melbourne Esprit Beneteau 47.7 Garry Anderson Melbourne Honeysuckle Beneteau first 45 Ray Harris Sydney Imagination Beneteau 47.7 Annette and Robin  Hawthorn Sydney Margaret Rintoul V Frers 61 Graeme Wilson Sydney Noonmark VI Swan 56 Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy London Playstation 3 Beneteau first 50 Dean Harrigan Sydney Spirit of Lexus Farr 42 Michael Keough Adelaide St Hilliers Quest Nelson Merick 46 Tim Casey Sydney Terra Firma Sydney 47 Nicholas Bartels Melbourne Tulip Swan 45 Bernie van't Hof Sydney IRC Passage Alacrity Beneteau Frist 44.7 Matthew  Percy Southport Bear Necessity C&C 115 Andrew & Pauline Dally Sydney Brookwater Golf Sydney 36 CR Luke McGrath Brisbane Chancellor Beneteau First 40.7 Malcolm Shaw Sydney Dumaresq Endeavour 24 Stuart Dart Sydney Equinox Sydney 36CR Anthony  Dunn Sydney Mahligai Sydney 46 Murray Owen / Jenny Kings Owen Sydney Onya Sydney 36CR Andrew Hurt Sydney Onyva Beneteau First 44.7 David  Elliott Brisbane Outsider N T Farr 11.6 Geoff Anderson Brisbane Panacea Beneateu First 40.7 Adam Shand & Laurie Flynne   Mandurah WA Pelagic Magic Beneteau 40.7 Ross McDonald Sydney Real Yachting Adventures Beneteau 40.7 Dayne Sharp Sydney Secret Mens Business #1 Murray 42 Curtis / Trembath / Snedden  Sydney The Philosophers Club Sydney 36cr Peter Sorensen Sydney Ultimate Positioning Beneteau First 44.7 S/D Tam Faragher Brisbane Zen Sydney 38 Gordon Ketelbey Sydney Zoe MBD 41 Wayne Millar Townsville PHS Grand Prix Another Fiasco Jutson 43 Damian Suckling Airlie Beach Cadi/Gold Jones 42 Peter Blake / Kate Mitchell  Mooloolaba Dream Lover MBD 40 Rick Morgan Brisbane Fly Blown Melges 32 Guy Holbert / Mick Hinchey  Port Stephens Getaway-Sailing.com Volvo 60 Peter Goldsworthy Sydney Isuzu Marine Jones/Hart Custom 14m Jock & Hamish MacAdie Melbourne Pla Loma IV DK 43 Robert Reynolds Sydney Samarkand Pacific 50 Walter Carpenter Sydney Simrad Melges Melges 24 Heath Walters Sydney Surefoot Norlin 38 Rodney Sawyer Airlie Beach Team Avalon Melges 24 Dugald Russell Sydney The Real Thing ID 35 Garry Holder Sydney Tiger One Beneteau 43 Shane Wilkinson Melbourne UBS Wild Thing Inglis / Murray 50 Geoff Lavis Sydney Wasabi Sayer 12 Bruce McKay Sydney Whalewatchingsydney.net Beneteau 47.7 Ian Ford / John Griffin  Sydney Wild Spirit Elliott 9.6M CR Kevin Horne Maroochy River PHS Passage Audi Central Coast Beneteau 47.7 First Ian  Creak San Franciso USA Batemanns Bay Adventure Sydney 38 Peter Walsh Sydney Bombolo Beneteau 36.7 David Boekemann Sydney Celera Dubois 65 Patrick Smith Brisbane Colortile Stampede Inglis 39 Warren  Buchan Port Hacking Condor IOR Maxi Molloy David Shute Harbour Copernicus Radford 12 Greg Zyner Sydney Dances With Waves Beneteau 40.7 Jim Thomas Sydney Flying Fish Let loose Beneteau 40.7 James Dobie Sydney Gusto Northshore 370 Colin  Wells Sydney Hans-on Hanse 370e Nick Cox Col Thomas Mooloolaba Jeaux de Guerre Jeanneau DS 49 David Urry Adelaide Just Quietly Elan 37 Donald & Sue Swanson Sydney Kioni Beneteau First 47.7 Stuart  McLeod Melbourne Lady Fay Hanse 430 John Moore Airlie Beach Local Hero BH 36 Peter Mosely Sydney Marisa Morgan 780 Reaburn Reynolds Brisbane MDBS Spirit of Koomooloo Frers 45 Mike Freebairn Brisbane Mondo Farr 36 Ray Sweeney Brisbane Overdrive Northshore 380 Sports Andrew Johnson Coffs Harbour Perfect Match Bavaria Match 35 Alun Lewis Sydney Pippin Farr 37 Roger Sayers Mooloolaba Raffles Sayer 35 Jennifer Fitzgibbon Brisbane Shiralee Beneteau Oceanis 473 Robert & Sue Segaert Sydney Sinewave Custom Davidson Cruiser Gregory Mason Sydney Spray Drift Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 Performance Dean Corbett Mooloolaba Still Dangerous Beneteau Oceanis 423 Ivor Burgess Sydney Tap Dancer Farr 11.6 Colin White Townsville Ticket of Leave Beneteau 40.7 First Max Prentice Sydney Verify Antipodes Beneteau 523 Greg Newton Sydney Viva La Vita Northshore 370 Sports Tony Bates Sydney Wirrajurnd Sydney 32 One Design Andy Kearnan Sydney One Design Classic Inez Mason 44 Ian Ritchie Sydney Cruising Airlie Retreat Beneteau Cyclades 43 George Challoner Hamilton Island Amadeus Bavaria 44 Brennan O'Dempsey Townsville Amadeus Bavaria 36 Peter Johnson Airlie Beach Amalie Jeanneau Sun Oddessy 37 Intex Equities Corporation Shute Harbour Apres Vous Beneteau John Griffin Sydney Austock La Gi Gi Beneteau Cyclades 43.4 Peter  Bowe Shute Harbour Beryl D Beneteau Alan Dorman Lake Macquarie Bliss Jotsun 60 Andrew Downe Airlie Beach Bottlemart Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39i Craig Watson Brunswick Heads Caledonia Bavaria 44 Malcolm Mitchell Melbourne Carolina Tony  Ross Southport Ceres Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 DS Gerard  Batt Mackay Changing L'Attitude Beneteau Oceanis 43 Tim Little Melbourne Charlie's Dream Bluewater 450M Peter Lewis Brisbane Chicane Beneteau Oceanis 323 Clipper Donald & Julia Wilks Hong Kong Chille Oceanis 473 cruising rig Stephen Clarke Hamilton Island Cyclone Keal/Frers Stephen Keal Hobart Delphi 37 Delphi Jack Leivenzon Southport Delphia Delphia 40.2 Tony  Ross Southport Double 0 Seven Northshore 38 Chris Carlile Airley Beach Dreamer Beneteau 39.3 Roger Anderson Adelaide Encore Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 Jim Milledge Melbourne Escape Cole 23 T/S David Moran Brisbane Europa Wauquiez Centurian 45 Michael Coleman Sydney Even Finer Dufour Performance 34 Jason  Antill Sydney Fizzle-Gig Catalina 387 - tall rig Ron Norrish Whitsundays Foreign Bride Hanse 470 Hedge / Lane  Sydney Four Bells Bavaria 49 David Bell Sydney French Bee Beneteau 42s7 Robert Greasley Brisbane Full Frontal Northshore 380 Mark Travis Lake Macquarie Grateful Hunter 356 Paul  Laurence Southport Harmony Kick-Back Harmony 42 Anthony Coleman Sydney Helter Skelter Northshore 340 William Andrews Rosslyn Bay Holy Cow! Beneteau Oceanis 523 John & Kim Clinton Sydney Ika-tere Jeanneau 49DS Peter  Johnstone Mooloolaba In The Mood Oyster 68 Will Vicars Sydney Inca Vickers 41 Noel Sneddon Airlie Beach Ingenue Jeanneau Sun Odyssy 40 Rosie Colahan Melbourne Instant Karma Bavaria 38 Paul Wise Melbourne Iseulta Bavaria 37 Tristram Denyer Townsville Joie de Vie Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42i Performance Peter Byford Sydney Jura Peter Vaiciurgis Coffs Harbour Kashmir Phantom 40 DS Peter Clark Melbourne Lady Elizabeth 11 Beneteau Oceanis 423 Richard Whyte Whitsundays L'Attitude Oceanis 393 Stephen James Lambert Sydney Le Quack Jeanneau Sun Odyssey DS 45 Roger Johnston Melbourne Lifestyle Chef Beneteau Brian Pozzey Brisbane Lloyds Brokers - Too Impetuous Holland 42 Rudy Weber Brisbane Lorena Beneteau Oceanis 393 Cruising Rig Ross Kelly Newcastle Losel Beneteau 57 Robert Felton Sydney Magic Farr 1104 Doug Ryan Port Douglas Magic Miles Drew Murray Hamilton Island Magnolia C & N 58 Peter Higgins Sydney Makaila Beneteau Oceanis 510 Robert Sceales Perth Mandala Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42I Gerard Webb Sydney Mare Liberum Farr 51 John Benjamin Melbourne Marisa Morgan 780 Reaburn Reynolds Brisbane Meltemi S&S 34 Jim Shannon Brisbane Mine YOB Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49i Craig Mathie Brisbane Mista Gybe Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49DS David Redfern Abel Point Montego Monty Blomfield Brisbane More Intrigue Northshore 38 Cruising Merv Stephensen Brisbane Muir Beneteau 43.7 Ross Muir Brisbane Nessie Sonata 8 T/S William McMillan Clarence River Ngak Ngak Beneteau 57 Hamish and Michele Petrie Sydney Niska Four Fraser 42 centre cockpit Tony  Ross Southport Northern Moment Bavaria 42 Cruiser Ray Hudson Sydney Oasis Skye 51 David Keyes-Tilley Melbourne Ocean Safari Robert Wood Melbourne Ocean Slam Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i Anthony Twibill Sydney Picasso Consepta 65 Barry Wain Sydney Prickly Pear Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 Daryl Speakman Geelong Psycho 11 Bavaria 39 Phil Bates Sydney Pyrenees Beneteau Oceanis 461 Clipper Stuart and Lianne Manley Sydney Redline Jeanneau 393 Mark Burton Melbourne Rex Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS Greg Maguire Hamilton Island Ropabull Beneteau Michael Roper Sydney Ruby Red Beneteau Oceanis 323 cruising rig Neville  Harlick Mount Manganui Rum to Paradise Sonata 760 Sports Piers  Findlay Launceston Saint Jacques Beneteau Oceanis 50 Ian Beer / Bruce McKechnie  Hamilton Island Sandstone Jeanneau Sunfast 36 Mike Davies Whitsundays Sante Dufour 455 Grand Large Bruce Munroe Lake Macquarie Scarborough Beneateau Oceanis 363 Michael Silcock Hamilton Island Silhouette Jeanneau Sun Odyssey Paul Duffy Auckland NZ Silvershot Beneteau 50 David Perkins Hamilton Island Soul Provider Van De Stadt 34 John Fowell Mackay Stealing Beauty Cyclades 43 Richard Starkins Hamilton Island Sunshine Sailing Australia Jeanneau Sunfast 37 John Bankart Mooloolaba Sunstruck Benateau Oceanis 343 Julie McStay Brisbane Sweet Mango Hunter 33 Nick Cameron Brisbane Tandanya Bavaria 41 Timothy Mussared Sydney The Poacher Cavalier 1050 John Foster Mackay The Sweet Escape Bavaria 44 Vision Bill Hili Sydney Tiger One Benetau 43 Shane Wilkinson Melbourne True Love Farr 11.6 Elizabeth Robinson Airlie Beach Tuan Beneteau Oceanis 46 Brad & Maryke Barker Gladstone Ulu Hans Christian 43 Andrew Laughlin Southport Valdolese Beneteau 461 Greg Sier Southport Vallina Beneteau 50 Steven Penny Brisbane Van Diemen Muir 66 Robert Vaughan Hobart Van Diemen Robert Vaughan Hobart Warbler Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 Steve Chau Hamilton Island White Pearl Beneteau Oceanis 323 Andrew Robertson Sydney Wilderness Wear Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 Philip Endersbee Hamilton Island Yesdear Beneteau Oceanis 473 Michael & Marion Paull Lake Macquarie Non-Spinnaker Apollo 111 Ashley Kerr Airlie Beach Avalon Norm House Airlie Beach Bilyana Savage Oceanic 46 Heather  Olsen Sydney Catalyst Catalina 320 Bryan Hudson Mackay Champs Elysees Beneteau Cyclades 43.3 Barry Sale Gosford Hairy Mary Beneteau Oceanis 50 Andrew  Pembroke Sydney Jasomeva Bavaria 36 Anni Browning Shute Harbour Manly Too Bavaria 44 Peter McAdam Melbourne Mim Catalina 350 Mike Walter Yeppoon Nyssa Catalina 34 Mark 2 David Abey Sydney Pelikan Ketch Mike Blenkinsop Melbourne Princess Despina Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 Scott Carson Woolongong Rumba Oceanis 42.3 cruising Tathra Chai Hamilton Is Sarlou Jutson 45 Peter Lloyd Melbourne Sea Diamond Beneteau 363 John Quinn Hobart Southern Swell Bavaria 38 Geoffrey Simpson Melbourne Star Ferry Marchi 39 John Brand Bundaberg Starkers Catalina 350 Alan Stark Townsville True Colours Bavaria 44 Terry  Herbert Melbourne Valhalla Dufour 385 Grand Large Peter Cox Sydney