Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

A gentle introduction to Hamilton Island Race Week 2019

by Richard Gladwell 18 Aug 2019 08:49 PDT 19 August 2019
Beau Geste MOD70 - Day 1 - Hamilton Island Race Week - August 18, 2019 © Richard Gladwell

The 234 entries in Hamilton Island International Race Week, had a very pleasant introduction to the 36th edition, with a tour of the Whitsunday Islands conducted in bright sunshine, and light winds.

Entries range from Karl Kwok's MOD70 trimaran to trailer sailers and multihulls of all sizes and aspirations. This year's regatta is the 36th edition and has attracted the second-largest fleet in its history.

Absent are the supermaxis which provided a fascinating match race last years with some top international crews participating. Both Wild Oats XI (Sydney) and Black Jack (Queensland) are in the builder's shed for more than cosmetic surgery ahead of this years Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Apparently also absent are the warm blooded leviathans for which these waters are famous. Only one whale was spotted from the media boat today, as it made its way south.

Three IRC divisions are racing with a total of 26 entries.

Line honours in Division 1 went to the Mark Richard's skippered Wild Oats X - the 66ft Reichel Pugh design owned by the Oatley family, which was sailed by a female crew into a very creditable second overall in the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

The Division 1 crews sailed a 26.9nm course, starting downwind in the Dent Passage and heading north for a short time before rounding Dent Island and heading south in a S-SW headwind which was pleasant if not powerful.

Four times America's Cup winner, Mattie Mason (NZL) told Sail-World: "It had been a long day, but we were happy to be able to get amongst it in the light - we are a little underpowered in those conditions - with the canting keel [not being required for righting moment]."

"We had a bad run home after we got on the wrong side of a tidal split on the downwind leg."

"Overall it was a good day and beautiful sailing out there."

"It will be light again tomorrow, and with more breeze later in the week."

Although Wild Oats was first to finish, almost five minutes ahead of JV 62 Chinese Whisper (David Griffith), it was the Sydney based TP52, Hooligan (Markus Blackmore) which had a narrow 11sec on corrected time from Chinese Whisper with Wild Oats X in third.

Team Hollywood (Ray Roberts) had a great day scoring line honours and corrected time double in IRC Division 2 sailing over a shorter 23.5nm course.

Bushranger (Gerry Hatton) won IRC Division 3 by 1m 24secs on corrected time from Eagle Rock (Ross Wilson). It was a tight race amongst the 14 starters, with Bushranger finishing 41 secs behind line honours winner, Amazing Grace (Andrew Banks/Malcolm Roe) and 59secs ahead of Ponyo (David Currie).

The weather prognosis for the rest of the week is controlled by a weakening high pressure zone over New Zealand which will be pushed away by freshening SE Trades on Tuesday and Wednesday as a trough of low pressure moves over central and northern Queensland waters.

The forecast from race management has it that Monday will remain light starting at 4-8kts and increasing to 10kts in the afternoon.

Tuesday is set to pack a wallop with winds of 20-30kts before giving way to 15-25kts SE in the afternoon.

Wednesday, nominally a day off for the fleet, is predicted to stay at 15-22kts, easing to 12-16kts.

Exciting times are ahead!

For full results click here

Related Articles

40th Hamilton Island Race Week overall
Magic end to the 40th anniversary event Sails are packed away and results tabled for the more than 155 Australian and international boats contesting the pinnacle 40th anniversary Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX. Posted on 23 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week day 5
Success comes in different forms The front-runners are comfortably out of reach in several divisions while in others, Saturday's final island passage race will decide the victors and the spoils at the 40th anniversary of Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX. Posted on 22 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week day 4
Storm troopers and trophy hunters At the business end of the 40th Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX, is the consolidation of first-half regatta points by the trophy hunters Posted on 21 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week day 3
Trans-Tasman showdown Day three of Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX, produced classic Whitsundays racing - glamour yacht debuts, steady trade winds and tight contests across the divisions - before a spectacular Olympic-class finale. Posted on 19 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week day 2
Divisional duels to Trans-Tasman clashes; Race Week 2025 hits its stride Today's Dent Passage starts for HI Yellow, Orange and Pink divisions, Trailer Yachts, and both Hamilton Island Multihull Divisions were postponed until the trade winds were established, shortly after midday. Posted on 18 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week Day 1
Calm seas and close rivalries open 40th edition A sparkling Queensland winter's day gently opened the starting gate for the 40th Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX, on-water program. Posted on 17 Aug
40th Hamilton Island Race Week starts tomorrow
The fleet of more than 155 entrants making final preparations for racing Festivities marking the 40th anniversary of Hamilton Island Race Week presented by AMEX are about to get under way, with the fleet of more than 155 entrants making final preparations for racing to commence tomorrow, Sunday August 17. Posted on 16 Aug
39th Hamilton Island Race Week Comes to a Close
Match racing finishes pushing right to the end in multiple divisions The final day of on water action at Hamilton Island Race Week 2024 pushed all the way to the wire, with match racing finishes pushing right to the end in multiple divisions as placings remained in contention across all divisions. Posted on 25 Aug 2024
Women at the top at Hamilton Island Race Week 2024
Rhumb Runna competing in the Trailable Yacht Division, features an all female crew of locals The 39th Edition of Hamilton Island Race Week has marked an increase in female representation in key roles on boats, from skippers to navigators and plenty of female crew out on the water. Posted on 23 Aug 2024
Hamilton Island Race Week Prix d'Elegance
All styles and sizes on show ahead of day four racing Day four of racing started in style this morning with the annual Hamilton Island Race Week Prix d'Elegance. Posted on 22 Aug 2024
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastArmstrong 728x90 - Performance Mast Range - BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY BOTTOM