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Festival of Sails 2026

Whitsundays Season of Sailing - Get your sea legs on

by Heidi Walton on 10 Jul 2014
Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsunday Sailing Club
Australia’s aquatic playground is gearing up for its annual ‘Sailing Season’, where sails and spinnakers dominate the horizon by day, and champagne corks and good times dominate by night.



The Whitsundays Season of Sailing kicks off with Vision Surveys Airlie Beach Race Week (8-15 August 2014) and the Great Whitsunday Fun Race (16 August), followed by the region’s premier event, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week (19 -27 August 2014), showcasing some of Australia’s finest racing yachts. The season continues with the famous Shag Islet Rendezvous (28-31 August). Thousands of competitors and spectators flock to the Whitsundays each year to celebrate the events and Australia’s premier sailing grounds.



Airlie Beach Race Week is renowned as Australia’s ‘Tropical Shirt Regatta’ for its laid-back atmosphere, tropical climate and relaxed social events throughout the week.

So get your sea legs on and join this year’s 25th Vision Surveys Airlie Beach Race Week fun! And don’t stress if you can’t bring your own boat – there are many options to be a part of it all – here are our Top three:

1. Jump on a crewed maxi-yacht
Join a professional crew and jump on board the Prosail maxi yachts Condor and Hammer for a race in the Cruising Spinnaker Division. You can be an experienced sailor or someone who has never been sailing before – of course it’s all about the fun factor!
2. Kick back and sign up for a spectator charter
Follow all the Race Week action from your own yacht and immerse yourself in the event’s entertainment. Whitsunday Rent A Yacht and Sunsail offer cruising charters for spectating.
3. Join in the off-water entertainment
Take a dip in the Airlie Beach Lagoon, indulge in a leisurely lunch and follow the Race Week action from dry land as the fleet is criss-crossing Pioneer Bay in front of Airlie Beach. Sailing Season also coincides with whale season, so the spectating could really get exciting!

For more information on sailing holidays in the Whitsundays, visit website.



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