Please select your home edition
Edition
Hellamarine-Apelo-A3-@2x_1456x180px TOP

Airlie Beach Race Week: Pioneer Bay Race today

by Di Pearson/ABRW 15 Aug 2022 17:50 PDT 11-18 August 2022

With another light on for breeze weather forecast today, the record fleet of 178 boats competing at the 34th Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) will shift gears as the much anticipated Bay Race, which normally occurs on the final day, has been moved up to today.

Explaining his rationale, Whitsunday Sailing Club's Ross Chisholm, the WSC Event Chairman said this morning, "The day's forecast is all over the place. A light south-westerly is expected to move to the north-east later, so we made the decision to keep the fleet inside the bay and moved the Bay Race forward.

"The forecast for the final day is looking better for an Islands Race, so we've made the swap."

Among those headed out to the course this morning is Peter Lowndes and his Wine Dark Sea. They are second overall in Performance Cruising going into the Bay Race.

The Sydney yachtsman, a regular in the northern regatta, has installed a new carbon fibre rig, boom and other accessories to the yacht. A new striking white spinnaker features a half full red wine glass.

"I'm preparing the boat for a tilt at the 2025 double-handed Melbourne to Osaka Race. I know it's a while off, but I want to do some other double-handed sailing in the lead-up, as much as I can," Lowndes says of his 20 year-old Lyons 49 design.

"I'm sailing fully crewed at Airlie Beach Race Week and will be at Magnetic Island Race Week too - where I want to take back the crown I won in 2019. They cancelled 2020 and we couldn't get there last year because of Covid restrictions."

Lowndes said that while the crew was here having fun, "We're having fun ashore, but we're here to try and win our Division."

Watch this space.

Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing is being held from 11 to 18 August. It is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and is a feature on the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar.

Full results and all information on Airlie Beach Race Week, please visit: www.abrw.com.au.

Related Articles

2023 Airlie Beach Race Week overall
Victors reap the spoils The final day and no wind to speak of on the horizon on an otherwise beautiful sunny day, as officials at Whitsunday Sailing Club's (WSC) 35th Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sail waited until near the 1pm cut off, unable to drum up a skerrick of wind. Posted on 17 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week day 6 morning report
Final races to decide trophies in tight pointscores The final races at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) today will decide the winners across the various divisions at Whitsunday Sailing Club's (WSC) 35th running of its signature event and signs are that racing should get away from 11.30am. Posted on 17 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week day 5
Tight racing on windward/leeward courses Racing on Day 5 started later than the planned 10am, as competitors and officials alike again waited for a constant light breeze to fill in - and their patience was rewarded - shortly after midday racing was under way on a spectacular sunny day. Posted on 16 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week day 5 morning report
Déjà vu as racing delayed again Another warm sunny morning at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) on Day 5, but racing has already been postponed due to identical conditions to yesterday's - blue skies, balmy weather, but no wind Posted on 15 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week day 4
Two classes get racing in An outgoing tide and no breeze to speak of, meant race officials at Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) were up against it to get any racing in on Day 4 of Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW), even though a breeze teased after the AP flag went up ashore. Posted on 15 Aug
Will conditions play ball on Day 4?
Competitors made the most of lay day at Airlie Beach Race Week Day 4 of Airlie Beach Race Week after competitors made the most of lay day yesterday, sightseeing and shopping locally, or on adventures further afoot, returning this morning to find organisers at Whitsunday SC had displayed AP ashore with a 9.45am. Posted on 15 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week Day 3
Too light and fluky for most - just four divisions race Another sunny light air day Airlie Beach Race Week on Day 3, officials at WSC out searching for steady breeze, but struggled to get racing in, just four divisions raced while the rest floated around and watched whales at play and took in the scenery. Posted on 13 Aug
Search for light breeze at Airlie Beach Race Week
The bulk of the fleet set further north to make the best of the breeze on day 3 Day 3 at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) and officials at Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) warned the forecast was for a 5-10 knot east/south-easterly, which meant sending the bulk of the fleet further north to make the best of the breeze. Posted on 13 Aug
2023 Airlie Beach Race Week Day 2
A light breeze day - with tide Racing continued today in a light breeze on a typically balmy Whitsundays day, but all were kept on their toes as the tide played a big roll and found some stranded ashore for a time when they took things a little too far. Posted on 12 Aug
Light winds expected at Airlie Beach Race Week
The 152 entries line up on Pioneer Bay for the first starts Day 2 at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) and the 152 entries lined up on Pioneer Bay for the first starts at 10am on another blue skied sunny day with a light breeze of 10 knots expected on the various course areas today. Posted on 12 Aug
Hyde Sails 2023 SIBS - FOOTERHenri-Lloyd 2022 December - SW FOOTERRooster 2023 - FOOTER