Hamilton Island Race Week 2026 Day 2 - Consistency Counts as Race Week Battles Tighten
by Hamilton Island Race Week 17 Aug 15:45 PDT
15-22 August 2026
HIRW 2026 - D2 © Salty Dingo
Strong trade winds continued for day two of Hamilton Island Race Week presented by American Express, with conditions building from yesterday and delivering another demanding day on the water.
More than 1,200 sailors raced in classic Whitsundays conditions on Monday 17 August, with several divisions already tightening and some of the leading boats separated by only seconds or a handful of points.
Racing was focused closer to Hamilton Island for the day, with fleets again split across the Dent and Eastern Passage start lines. The cruising divisions and trailable yachts started in Dent Passage, while the rating divisions started in Eastern Passage.
Miyu secured the day two victory on both EHC and OMR handicaps to move into the overall lead in Multihull Racing.
Robinson said the fresh conditions suited Miyu, with the team continuing to build confidence as the regatta progresses.
“It was pretty strong out there today and sailing into it was tough, but the boat handled the conditions really well. We were impressed with how well it tracked, and the result showed that,” Robinson said.
“We’re still dialling the boat in. We came here last year very underprepared, but a couple of regattas and three ocean races this year have prepared us much better for this Race Week.
“I don’t pretend to understand the handicapping, but these are our best results yet, so fingers crossed we can keep it going.”
In Hamilton Island Blue, Wild Thing moved to the top of the table with a line honours and handicap win. Just 25 seconds behind on corrected time was Walter Carpenter’s Caol Ila, leaving the two boats tied at the top overall.
In Division One, TP52s Highly Sprung, owned and helmed by Mark Spring, and Gusto, owned and helmed by Lee Hawksley, are sitting at the top on IRC and the TP52-specific TPR ratings.
In the Super40 Plus division, Greg Watson’s Touche42 from Southport Yacht Club is sitting at the top of the SFR rating, while Hamilton Island Race Week stalwart Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood has had a perfect start to the week with two wins on IRC.
Tactician David Chapman said a conservative sail choice helped keep the team in contention as the conditions shifted throughout the race.
“It wasn’t as windy as we expected, but we stayed conservative with the J4 and reached the top mark in good shape alongside the other 40-footers,” Chapman said.
“We all came downwind together before we passed Black Sparrow, then FOMO destroyed a spinnaker. Halfway between Pentecost and Hamilton Island, the breeze increased and shifted, so we had to jib reach back towards Hamilton Island.
“From there, we had a spinnaker run into the finish with 22 knots blowing through the passage. The finish was probably the best part of the day.”
In Rating Division Two, Bruce McCracken’s Ikon has laid down its marker as the boat to beat, sitting clear at the top. Across the Hamilton Island Pink and Yellow divisions, close finishes are reshuffling the standings, with Zoe, Phoenix49 and Kerb among those in the mix in Pink, and Stratcare Racing Bluebottle and 51st Project in Yellow.
In Hamilton Island Orange, just two points separate the top five boats. With 20 competitors, it is one of the largest divisions at Race Week and is shaping up to be one of the most closely contested of the regatta.
Racing continues tomorrow with the Nautilus Marine Classic races, with all fleets starting from Dent Passage. The spectacular parade of colour heading north is one of Hamilton Island Race Week’s must-see moments. Results are available daily here.
All Race Week details are available at HIRW