Hamilton Island RW: Images from the Big Boats - Day 6

Black Jack - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 © Richard Gladwell

Hamilton Island Race Week concluded with a final 30nm race for the Division 1 fleet - comprising two supermaxis, a Reichel Pugh 66 and three TP52's.

Sailing a new course - # 43 - the race was an out and back track to Baynham Island - one of the outermost in the Whitsunday group.

This was English Channel racing at its finest with tidal gates, wind shadows, rain squalls and plenty more to test the sailors, navigators and tacticians.

In the early stages of the race the fleet was locked together with the supermaxis stretching away to have their private match race - and sailing for most of the course only 100 metres apart.

Here's gallery of images from the day.

Spinnaker drop - Ichi Ban - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Alive getting a huge tow from her enormous Code ZeroHamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Anyone for tennis - Wild Oats XI - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Wild Oats XI broaches ahead of Alive - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 5 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Mark Richards adjusts the canting keel - with Nic Douglass in front with the video camera -Wild Oats XI - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Wild Oats XI - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Balance negotiates the tidal race - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Reflections on Black Jack -Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Lighthouse on Dent Island - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Wild Oats XI - heads for the finish off Hamilton Island YC - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Another island - another wind shadow to negotiate - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Black Jack's tactician, Iain Percy says he is more used to rounding marks than islands - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

A very wet Team Hollywood - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Wild Oats XI in Dent Passage heading for the finish - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Black Jack heads for the turning mark at Baynham Island in a rain squall - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Wild Oats XI and Black Jack - tacking and furling - Baynham Island - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Black Jack creates a solar eclipse in Dent Passage heading for the finish - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Black lack chases Wild Oats XI into a rain squall - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell

Black Jack climbs over Wild Oats XI to leeward in the rain squall - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 6 - photo © Richard Gladwell