Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Long race forecast

by Lisa Ratcliff on 21 Aug 2012 A light to moderate forecast for trade winds has been issued for the international fleet contesting the feature event of the 2012 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the 63 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Long Race for the Audi IRC Australian Championship Class A and B divisions and supermultihulls.

The Performance Racing and IRC Class C fleets are readying for the medium distance Club Marine Race, a 41 nautical miler, while the cruising divisions and non-spinnaker entries have had a program change and will now do the 23 nautical mile Lindeman Island Race, which was postponed last Saturday due to light conditions, starting from 10.30am from the eastern side of Hamilton Island.

It’s an early start for the Performance Racing, the largest of the IRC line up and the two supermultihulls, Team Australia and Team Vodafone Sailing, with a 9.15am start from the eastern area for Performance Racing 2, the division which will open today’s program.

Regatta forecaster Kenn Batt says, ‘It appears the fleet will see light to moderate SE-E winds today. There is a chance that winds will drop out later this morning and a light to moderate E-NE sea breeze will develop,’ however there’s a question mark over whether the sea breeze will eventuate.

Marcus Blackmore’s internationally recognised navigator aboard his TP52 Hooligan, Tom Addis, was up early this morning studying the models and is not expecting more than 16 knots of sou’east breeze on the track today.

All information relating to Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2012 is on the regatta website