Results Day 1 - Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

by Al Constable on 24 Aug 2008
Results after Day 1 of racing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. All fleets sailed the Lindeman Island Race. Listed below are the top three handicap winners in each division.

IRC Grand Prix Division 1, Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest won on handicap from Geoff Ross’ Reichel Pugh 55 Yendys, with Ray Robert's Cookson 50 Quantum Racing, in third.

IRC Grand Prix Division 2, Honeysuckle (Beneteau First 45) skippered by Ray Harris was first, from Rod Jones’ Alegria (Archambault A40RC) with the Nick George skippered Exile (DK 46 from Adelaide) third.

Bluewater, Graham Jones' Beneteau First 45 won on handicap in the IRC – Premier Passage Division. Margaret Rintoul V, the Frers 61 of Graeme Wilson was second, with Noonmark V1, a Swan 56 owned by Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy of London, third.

Peter Sorensen's Sydney 36CR, The Philosopher's Club won the IRC - Passage Division continuing her form for the year and the crew’s quest for the Audi car on offer. Another Sydney 36CR, Brisbane boat Brookwater Golf owned by Luke McGrath was second, with Anthony Dunn’s Equinox, another Sydney 36CR, third.

In PHS Grand Prix, Getaway-sailing.com the Volvo 60 of Peter Goldsworthy was first on handicap from Whalewatchingsydney.net, the Beneteau 47.7 of Ian Ford and John Griffin. Pla Loma 1V, Rob Reynolds' DK43 was third.

Local Hero, Peter Mosely's BH 36, won the PHS – Passage Division 1 from Celera, the Brisbane based Dubois 65 of Patrick Smith. St Hilliers Quest, Tim Casey, was third.

PHS - Passage Division 2 was won on handicap by the Elan 37 Just Quietly owned by Don and Sue Swanson, from Mondo, Ray Sweeney's Farr 36 from Brisbane, with Shiralee, Robert and Sue Segaert's Beneteau Oceanis 473 third.

Ngak Ngak, Hamish and Michelle Petrie’s artistically painted Beneteau 57 won the Cruising With Spinnaker Club Marine Division 1, from Airlie Beach’s True Love, a Farr 11.6 (Elizabeth Robinson) and Hobart’s Van Diemen (Muir 66, Robert Vaughan).

Ross Muir’s Muir, a Beneteau 43.7, won the Cruising With Spinnaker Division 2, from the Northshore 380 Full Frontal (Mark Travis – Lake Macquarie). Silvershot David Perkins' Beneteau 50 (Hamilton Island) was third

Division 3 - Cruising With Spinnaker was won by Airlie Retreat, George Challoner's Beneteau Cyclades 43, from Rosie Colahan’s Ingenue (Jeanneau S/O 40) with Chicane , the Beneteau Oceanis 323 Clipper of Hong Kong entrants Don and Julia Wilkins, third.

Star Ferry, the Machi 39 of Bundaberg's John Brand took the handicap win in Cruising Non Spinnaker, from Mim, Mike Walter's Catalina 350 and True Colours, the Bavaria 44 of Terry Herbert.

In the South Pacific Cup the Australian team of Living Doll (5), Yendys (1) and Alegria (1) are on equal points with their New Zealand rivals, Pussy Galore (2), Wired (3) and Carrera (2).

Over nine races during Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the team that scores the highest accumulated points will have the honour of winning the trophy.

The credentials of both teams are impressive. Yendys (Geoff Ross) is the current defending Audi Hamilton Island Race Week champion whilst Alegria (Rod Jones) is the inaugural winner of the Audi IRC Australian Championship. Michael Hiatt will be keen to maintain his excellent record in this, his last race series, onboard the Cookson 50 Living Doll. (Hiatt has a new yacht currently under construction).

Rob Bassett and crew on board the Bakewell-White 52 Wired have recent local competition knowledge, having just competed at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, as do the experienced crew of the Cookson 50 Pussy Galore (Anatole Mafsen). The elegant Marten 49 cruiser-racer of John Meadowcroft completes the Kiwi team.

This first contest for the South Pacific Cup is shaping up to be a great battle, with both teams currently on 7 points.