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Most recent news at top, start at bottom..... by Lisa Ratcliff and Susan Boyd

The Viva La Vita crew with Audi A4 Avant Audi's Joerg Hofmann is on the right

VIVA LA VITA AUDI A4 AVANT At the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week official prize giving on Saturday evening Joerg Hofmann, Audi’s managing director, announced that Viva La Vita, owned and skippered by Tony Bates, had been declared the winner of the Audi A4 Avant. Bates was the lucky recipient after being declared winner of the Cruising Division 2 following the final race on Saturday, and winning the Audi Drive Challenge held earlier in the week for all competing yachts at the Hamilton Island Airport. While each entry at Race Week had the opportunity to contest the Audi Drive Challenge, only the winners of each division were eligible to win the A4 Avant. On announcing the winner, Mr Hofmann said: “rather than focus on speed, competitors had to drive accurately and consistently during two time trials.” Mr Hofmann continued: “I am very pleased to announce this particular winner. I was at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta in March and he told me he did not drive his car to the final day of that event because he was convinced he was going to win a car!” Bates and his crew from Middle Harbour Yacht Club were thrilled with the major prize. On accepting the keys to his new car, Bates said: “Three of my crew are already driving Audis, so you can see that Audi’s sponsorship of sailing has already had an influence. “I’m delighted to win the A4 Avant. I’m thrilled. I’d like to thank everyone for a great Race Week; Audi, the Oatley family and all the competitors. It’s been a fantastic regatta.” Other awards were handed out last evening. The 10-year award, open to yachts that had contested a minimum 10 Race Weeks went to Mike Davies (Sandstone), while Best Northern Queensland Boat went to Scaramouche (Graham Smith). The Prix d’Elegance special commendation went to Holy Cow (John and Kim Clinton) and You’re Hired (Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks) won the Prix d’Elegance Trophy. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week overall winner, Geoff Ross (Yendys), also won the Boat of the Week award. Speaking of both wins, Ross, from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, said: “This is a great regatta and I have a great bunch of dedicated guys who work terribly hard to get the results we do – my crew". Last night’s prizegiving ceremony, hosted by celebrity comedian, Vince Sorrenti, signalled the end of a 217 entry record breaking Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Island owner, Bob Oatley, told competitors: “What a week we’ve had. Congratulations to Joerg Hofmann and his Audi team; what a job they’ve done. Their contribution at Hamilton Island has been great; they’ve put new life into yachting. Audi and sailing are very compatible and it’s been great to see so many Audis on the Island.” Mr Oatley went on to thank supporting sponsors UBS and Club Marine. He also thanked Hamilton Island staff for the effort they had put in to making the week a success. Commodore of the Great Barrier Reef Yacht Club on Hamilton Island and Olympic campaigner for the Australian Sailing Team (of which Audi is a major sponsor), Iain Murray, also attended the prizegiving. Murray has just returned from the Beijing Olympic test event in Qingdao where he and Andrew Palfrey finished 11th in the Star keelboat. “We’re blessed to have places like Hamilton Island to sail at, and great supporters.” “Their (Audi’s) sponsorship really has shown – in this room, in the racing and down to the main street,” said Murray, who concluded by telling assembled guests that Hamilton Island’s new yacht club would be well underway by the time we all returned next August.

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25 August 2007   Yendys takes overall honours at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week While Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X won IRC Racing line honours in the final race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week today to complete an unblemished record of line honours wins during the week, Geoff Ross’ Reichel/Pugh 55 Yendys has provisionally won the series overall. In fluky breezes and a strong current that tested all, particularly as it went against the yachts on the return journey home, it was a small boat race which worked in favour of Ross and his crew who had to beat Wild Oats X on corrected time to win the series, which they did. Although Limit, West Australian Alan Brierty’s Corby 49 won today’s UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race, Yendys, which Ross says is built for predominantly heavy weather racing, finished well down in 15th, but beat Wild Oats X by four places to claim the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week title. Wild Oats X has finished second overall after a superb week of sailing, with Steven David’s Reichel/Pugh 60 third, making it three Reichel/Pugh designs on the podium. Geoff Ross was unavailable for comment this afternoon, but third placegetter Steven David said of the series: “We’ve had an absolute ball. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week set new standards this year, the competition was tougher than ever, so we’ll certainly be back next year “We are very happy with our third overall. Since 2003, we’ve finished second twice, won one and finished third this year. You can’t complain about that.” David also said: “It was very tricky out there, especially coming home against the tide. The most breeze we saw today was 12-13 knots and that was in the earlier part of the race. Adam Beashel (Emirates Team NZ America’s Cup sailor) did a great job of steering and he will join us for more races.” All divisions in the 217 boat record fleet started in the Dent Passage this morning, with the IRC Racing division first away at 10.00am. The IRC Racing, Premier IRC, Performance, Cruiser/Racer IRC and Club Marine Cruising Division 1 contested the 23.3 nautical mile (approx) UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race, while Cruising Divisions 2 and 3 and the Non-Spinnaker divisions were sent off on a shorter 13.6 nm (approx) course from the start to Dent and Denman Islands and back to Dent Island, then to the finish, due to the light sou-easterly breezes. It was a spectacular sight on a beautiful warm blue-skied morning as all yachts set kites heading in a northerly direction. In fact it was wall-to-wall spinnakers for the best part of an hour, as spectators were treated to a colourful display as Humpback whales played amongst the fleet, adding that something special to the day. Breezes were soft in the Dent Passage, but that didn’t stop the excitement at the start, as competitors had a strong current pushing their yachts quickly towards the start, it was a matter of trying to slow down so as not to start prematurely.   IRC Racing Today’s popular winner was West Australian Alan Brierty and his crew on the Corby 49 Limit. At the start of the race, Ray Roberts’ Quantum Racing crew found themselves having to duck Bob Steel’s new TP52 Quest shortly after the start. Sailing with pace, the Cookson 50 came perilously close to an incident, but managed to execute a big swerve and duck the bigger boat. Most in the IRC Racing opted for a pin end start, with Graeme Troon’s XLR8 off quickly. Mid line, Wild Joe (Steven David), Wild Oats and Beau Geste (Karl Kwok) got away well too, as did Geoff Ross’ Yendys more towards the boat end of the line. Wot Yot (Graeme Wood) and You’re Hired (Geoff Morgan/Andrew Banks) got caught in a boat jam at the start, so did not get way as they would have liked. As the IRC yachts left Dent behind them, wind gusts hit and the fleet took off, with Bob Oatley’s Reichel/Pugh 66 getting the upper hand over Wild Joe early to lead the fleet towards South Molle Island. As the yachts spread out and made their way around North Molle for the slow beat against the tide home, Wild Oats had a one to two minute lead over Wild Joe with Yendys, yesterday’s series leader on handicap, giving chase. Halfway down South Molle and right behind Yendys came Quantum Racing and You’re Hired, intent on having a match race to the finish. Just behind them, Beau Geste, loaded up with America’s Cup heavies, gave chase. Top Kiwi match racer and BMW Oracle tactician Gavin Brady, calling the shots on Beau Geste, left the call too late to tack out of South Molle Island and Beau Geste was left momentarily floundering. Helmsman and fellow BMW Oracle afterguard Mark Bradford struggled to steer Beau Geste through the lull and eventually got going again, but valuable time was lost. Brady, obviously angry with himself, stomped his foot on the deck. Behind them, Quest caught up time, as did Living Doll, Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 from Melbourne.   Premier IRC Laurence Freedman has provisionally sailed Espresso Forte to a win in the Premier IRC division after being in a three-way tie with Eagle Rock and Carrera (John Meadowcroft). And while Carrera carted off second place overall, Eagle Rock was superseded by Paul Clitheroe’s Balance. This afternoon, a proud Freedman said: “This is our sixth year here. We’ve had two third places here and now a win – we’re obviously getting better! Our hardest competition was Eagle Rock and Carrera, but now my next door neighbour and fellow CYCA member has scored third place!” Clitheroe was just as surprised as Freedman. “It’s a miracle when you look at our results for the rest of the week, but I’m taking it,” he laughed. Andrew Short Marine Brindabella (Andrew Short) and Alex-Team MacAdie, co-skippered by father and son crew Jock and Hamish MacAdie got away well and looked comfortable as they ran towards South Molle Island. Dean Harrigan’s Beneteau First 50 Playstation 3 also made the best of the start with multi-talented sailor Michael Spies at the helm and it was clear early on that Laurence Freedman (Espresso Forte) was clear about winning. The MacAdies have recently returned to Australia after winning line honours in the 5,500 nautical mile Melbourne-Osaka Race and their cruise home. Second going into today’s final race, Eagle Rock (Ross Wilson) got away well, as did Money Man Paul Clitheroe’s Sydney 47CR Balance. Clitheroe will contest his second Sydney Hobart race this year; his first as skipper.   Cruiser/Racer IRC Mark Griffith skippered his Bull 9000 Raging Bull to a win in the Cruiser/Racer IRC division, despite finishing well down the leaderboard today, as was the case for many top three finishers across the fleets. Equinox, Anthony Dunn’s Sydney 36CR sailed well again today and it paid dividends with his second overall finish in the series. Geoff Pearson’s well sailed Archambault 35 rounded of the top placings finishing the series third overall. The Ian Box owned and skippered Toy Box got away comfortably and looked smooth under spinnaker, along with FKP Mean Machine Chris Rabbige and Ian Uther’s colourful modified Mumm 36 and John Bacon’s Hussy.   Performance Racing Dave Witt steered George Gregan Foundation into pole position at the start. Before long famous Aussie boatbuilder John McConaghy had Second Time Around sailing hard, bow down, under kite – and that’s how the top two places rounded out provisionally overall in the Performance Racing division. Wallop, Peter Hewson’s Sydney 41, finished third overall. Aboard Rumbo, Guy and Clark Holbert and their small crew looked very relaxed in the perfect light-weather conditions throughout the race. Whale Watching Sydney Liesl appeared to be doing just that – whale watching, as the slowly cruised the course, as Rod Skellet’s unusual looking Pope 40, Krakatoa II loped along with renowned navigator and pilot Roger Grimes helping with tactics. Jeffery Paul’s Mumm 30 Immigrant was quick off the line too.   Club Marine Cruising Division 1 Graham Smith’s X-43 Scaramouche never looked like being beaten in the Club Marine Cruising 1 division. A clear 10 points ahead going into today’s race, Smith capitalised to take the series from Escape, Graham Jones’ Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 and the Oceanic Hustler, an Olsen 50 owned and skippered by Bruce Finlay. Stephen Keal and his crew on Fish Frenzy looked to be in the groove in this division, along with Chris Carlisle’s Piano Man. Sandstone may not have been the fastest boat on the track, but Mike Davies and his crew were making the best of their day and enjoying themselves. Doug Ryan looked keen to replay his win of Day 1 with his Farr 1104 Magic, while Ian Miller’s Young Ones crew were playing catch-up and the big Open 60 Gusto 1, with Brian Pattinson at the helm, made the best of his big boat status at the front end of their fleet.   Other Cruising Divisions Cruising Divisions 2 and 3, along with the Non-Spinnaker division were the last classes to start. The heavier boats found it hard going until clearing Dent Passage. Viva La Vita, Tony Bates’ Northshore 330, looked to be making a good job of Cruising Division 2, and she did, announced as provisional winner of Cruising 2 division. Magnolia, Peter Higgins’ classic S&S58, took home second place overall, with Farrago, Tom & Emily McCutcheon’s Phase 4, claiming third overall. During the race, the beautiful Seastream 650 Celera (Patrick Smith) with celebrated sailor Nev Wittey at the helm looked elegant and sleek, whilst the Holy Cow crew (John Clinton) looked competitive but fairly relaxed In Cruising 3 division, David Berry (Escapade) scored his third win on the trot yesterday and followed up with a second today to claim a well deserved series win from Paul Melling’s Morning Mist and Jim Shannon’s lovely S&S34 Meltemi taking home third place. In the Non Spinnaker Division, yesterday’s leader, Terence Herbert’s True Colours did enough again today to win this division overall from Bryan Hudson’s Catalyst, which has held on to its second place overall from yesterday, whilst Mike Walter and his Mim crew held of the competition to hold onto third place overall. New Race Director Denis Thompson stated: “We had a few little glitches on the opening day, but they were rectified and I’m very happy with the way the regatta has gone. We made some changes to the courses this year and the sailors are really happy, so our race management team is happy too.” Thompson went on to say: “We may look at the way we start races. I get a bit nervous with a big fleet in Dent Passage in some conditions and we could get 250 for the 25th anniversary next year.” Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is all but over for another year – and what an event it has been. As many commented, new major naming right’s sponsor, Audi Australia, has made the regatta a bigger and better one. One announcement is left to be made though – the winner of the Audi A4 Avant. This major prize will go to one of the divisional winners mentioned above. Earlier in the week, a representative from each competing boat was given the opportunity of competing in the Audi Drive Challenge, and the winner of that challenge from the divisional winners at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, will drive away with a new car. That person’s name will be announced this evening at the official prizegiving.

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ALEGRIA'S AUDI IRC CHAMPIONSHIP RUNAWAY WIN - 24 AUGUST 2007 The Rod Jones-owned and skippered Archambault 35-designed Alegria, from Mooloolaba in Queensland, has scored a runaway victory in the inaugural Audi IRC Australian Championship. The final stage of the four-event series, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week concludes at the Island tomorrow, but Jones and his crew have already done enough to claim the title, the Audi IRC Australian Championship Perpetual Trophy designed by John Woulfe, and best of all, the highly sought after major prize of an Audi Q7 3.6 FSI quattro SUV. An excited Rod Jones today commented: “This is sensational. The team’s worked really hard. While the car is a great end result, it’s very special to win the Audi IRC Championship, especially as it’s the first one and there’s been such great sponsorship from Audi. “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in for any of us yet,“ he said on being told he had won the sleek black performance SUV from Audi – the Audi Q7 - which retails at around $92,000 ‘with all the trimmings’, one of the biggest prizes on offer at any yachting event in Australia. In the final tally, Alegria, one of the smallest boats in the IRC Series, has upstaged her better known grand prix racers, including confirmed second placegetter, and also the largest boat to compete, Hamilton Island owner Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X, the canting keeled Reichel/Pugh 66 from NSW Racing is so close here at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, that third to fifth places for the Championship will not be decided until tomorrow when racing finishes. Audi Australia’s managing director Joerg Hofmann, says that congratulations are definitely in order for the crew of Alegria, winning the first-ever Audi IRC Australian Championship. “I’d like to congratulate Rod and his team for a great contest,” Mr Hofmann said. “This close competition is exactly why Audi is involved in high level competitive sailing. Teamwork, technology and passion are needed to win a major championship like this one, and these values are a clear fit with the Audi brand,” he added. Those vying for the minor placings include current Audi Hamilton Island Race Week leader Yendys, a Reichel/Pugh 55 owned by Geoff Ross, Steven David’s Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe and Ray Roberts’ Cookson 50, Quantum Racing. All are from NSW. To be eligible for the Audi IRC Australian Championship, which is endorsed by Yachting Australia, yachts must hold a valid IRC Rating Certificate and enter at least three of the four events that make up the Championship; the Audi IRC Series at Skandia Geelong Week held in January each year, the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, sailed in March, Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in July and finally, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August. One hundred and sixty yachts competed in the Audi IRC Australian Championship series throughout the year.

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24 AUGUST 2007 Results are down to the wire heading into the final race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week with a number of divisions tied on equal points for first and second place. In the Premier IRC division, which sailed a stunning 22 nautical mile race around the islands today, three boats are sitting on equal first with 12 points apiece. One of those is Laurence Freeman’s Expresso Forte from Sydney. “Today was very challenging due to the wind which kept dying and changing. We are a heavy boat so we couldn’t make up a lot of ground. We are going to have a quiet night and do our best to stir up a storm for tomorrow because we need heavy conditions to do well,” Freeman laughed. Expresso Forte is in a three way tie with the stunning New Zealand Marten 49 Carrera and Ross Wilson’s Beneteau First 47.7 Eagle Rock from Sydney. In the Cruiser/Racer IRC division, Mark Griffith’s Raging Bull is just two points ahead of Arajilla and Equinox, which are currently tied for second with one race remaining. The VO60 George Gregan Foundation finished second today, a result good enough to push them back into the pointscore lead in the Performance Racing Division. Second place in this division is also tied, between Stephen Hunter’s Zutem and John McConaghy’s Second Time Around. Top placings in the three Cruising Divisions are more spread out, Graham Smith’s Scaramouche a clear 10 points ahead of the second placed boat, Graham Jones’ Escape in Cruising Division 1. Tony Bates’ Viva La Vita is looking strong in Cruising Division 2, currently sitting in first place with four points back to their nearest rival, Peter Higgins’ S&S 58 Magnolia. Cruising Division 3, pointscore leader, David Berry’s Escapade today collected its third consecutive handicap win, which has put them 9 points clear of the second placed boat, Paul Melling’s Morning Mist. In the Non Spinnaker Division, Terence Herbert’s True Colours is leading Bryan Hudson’s Catalyst by four points. In the fading breeze this afternoon, courses were shortened for Cruising Division 3 and the Non-spinnaker division “in order to get those boats home” said regatta director Denis Thompson. Tomorrow the entire fleet will contest the 23 nautical mile UBS South Molle /Daydream Island Race, due to start in Dent Passage at 11am, before final results are tallied and trophies presented at tomorrow night's prize giving dinner.

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24 AUGUST 2007 A group of ex-rugby players, including Australia’s second most capped Test prop Bill Young, has joined forces with a bunch of guys who know a thing or two about yacht racing and they have launched their Rolex Sydney Hobart campaign at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Through his rugby connections, former 18 foot skiff champion David Witt has teamed up with two of rugby great George Gregan’s school mates, Paul Docherty and Jim Swan, and chartered a Volvo 60. Originally called djuice dragon and built as the sparring boat for the two boat test program for the 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race, lately the boat has been campaigned under owner Peter Goldsworthy as Getaway-sailing.com. Heading into tomorrow’s final race, the VO60, called George Gregan Foundation for this regatta, is sitting in first place on the all important pointscore for the Performance Racing division, not a bad result for their first outing as a newly formed crew. Until Witt and Docherty secure a naming rights sponsor, they are using the George Gregan Foundation name on the boat to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation, which focuses on delivering outdoor specialised playgrounds to children's hospitals. At a fundraising dinner last week, a ride on the black and fluorescent pink hulled VO60 for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart was auctioned off for $25,000. Witt and his yachting aficionados including Craig Malouf, Peter Davis and John Roe, the current Queensland Reds captain, are this week teaching six rugby players who have never sailed before the basics of handling a powerful yacht that was built to sail around the world. “It’s a very steep learning curve,” admits Swan. The rugby players are surprised at the similarities because the two sports, and the strength it takes to propel the 60 footer around the race track. “Both sports have the brains trust at the back, the physical strength in the middle and the whippets at the front,” says former Wallaby prop Bill Young. “The partying is pretty similar too,” he add In the lead up to the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Witt will take his charges on various overnight passage races to get them used to sailing around the clock. They will contest the annual CYCA Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 11 December on Sydney Harbour then line up for the one of the world’s toughest ocean races, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, on 26 December – something the novices admit is a daunting prospect. “We’ll have a crack at it and try and remind ourselves it’s for a good cause,” says Young. “It’s fitting that in a World Cup year, the rugby players are getting together with the sailors,” adds Docherty.

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24 AUGUST 2007 While south east Queensland is being pounded by wild weather, the fleet contesting Audi Hamilton Island Race Week further up the coast enjoyed perfect sailing conditions on day seven of the eight day regatta. Geoff Ross’ quest for a major IRC victory at this regatta is on track with a third consecutive handicap win in today’s first windward/leeward race with his Reichel/Pugh 55 Yendys, but out to spoil his plans is Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X, which is unbeaten on line honours. The two are currently tied for first place on the IRC pointscore when their one drop is counted, which means tomorrow’s final race of the series will be the decider. “It’s all on tomorrow,” said regatta director Denis Thompson this afternoon. Second on handicap and first over the line in the first race today was Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X with Steven David’s Wild Joe third on handicap. Following a general recall, the first windward/leeward race for the IRC Racing division got underway in a 14 knot south easterly breeze and postcard conditions. The 50 footers enjoyed a close tussle on the short course in the first race. An impressive group, including Bob Steel’s Quest, the New Zealand Bakewell-White 52 Wired, You’re Hired and Graeme Wood’s TP52 Wot Yot all converged at the top mark within seconds of each other for a fast and colourful rounding. From there the IRC fleet enjoyed a lively spinnaker run to the bottom mark, carried along by an outgoing tide that looked like it might push Ian Murray’s Sydney 38 Cinquante onto the top mark. Karl Kwok’s favoured Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste separated from the fleet on the first downhill run and couldn’t peg those ahead back, finishing 13th on handicap. Things didn’t improve in race two for the Hong Kong registered boat after they found themselves locked out at the start. The breeze was forecast to build during the afternoon but instead began lightening off towards the end of the first nautical mile windward/leeward race, a 2.3 nautical mile course, and shifted to the east. The race committee decided to shorten the course to 1.9 nautical miles for race two. Wild Joe sailed to a handicap win in the second windward/leeward ahead of Wild Oats X and You're Hired while Yendys scored her worst result of the series, a 7th. Tomorrow’s UBS South Molle/Daydream Race is the final race of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week which began last Saturday.

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23 AUGUST 2007 In a light east sou’easterly breeze, the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week IRC Racing and Performance Racing divisions strutted their stuff over a 16 nautical mile course while backpackers, boaties and bona fide sailors were melding together at the famous Whitehaven Beach Party. While the racing crews were concentrating on their performance, there was a steady procession of boats, including many from the six divisions enjoying their second layday, motoring from Hamilton Island around to Whitehaven Beach for one of the largest social events of the week. Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X scored its sixth consecutive line honours victory today, crossing the finish line off the award winning Whitehaven Beach three minutes ahead of Steven David’s Wild Joe. On handicap, the Geoff Ross skippered Reichel/Pugh Yendys today hammered another nail in its competitors’ coffin. Yendys was leading Wild Oats X by three points in the IRC Racing pointscore heading into today’s race and is now eight points clear of the larger Reichel/Pugh with three races remaining. “It was a beautiful day’s sailing…just like the brochures,” said a delighted Ross this afternoon. “The boat is going well in a variety of conditions. We are here with our Rolex Sydney Hobart crew and we are working hard,” added Ross. Second on handicap in today’s light air race was Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks’ You’re Hired and third was Michael Hiatt’s Melbourne based Cookson 50 Living Doll, one of two boats granted a reprieve after she and Wild Joe found themselves on the wrong side of the start line when the gun fired. As they sailed back through the start line, the whole fleet was recalled for a restart. The Performance Racing division also had a general recall and then on the second attempt, a number of boats were individually recalled including the Volvo 60 George Gregan Foundation which took a while to respond to the race committee’s calls, skipper David Witt finally swinging the big boat around to re-start. Given the amount of time they lost, they did well to finish fourth on handicap today, which puts them second on the pointscore behind today’s divisional winner, Stephen Hunter’s Hick 31 Zutem, the current pointscore leader with two races remaining for this division. Geoff Lavis’ UBS Wild Thing was also recalled on the second start but used this to her advantage. By the time UBS Wild Thing restarted, the crew could pick out which of their competitors were sailing in the best wind pressure and they went on to finish second on handicap. A mother humpback whale and her calf, which kept leaping out of the water, also chose the route to Whitehaven Beach today. Tomorrow the IRC Racing fleet will sail two windward/leeward races while the remaining divisions will sail another round the islands race starting in Dent Passage. Tomorrow’s forecast is for S/SE winds at 15/25 knots. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will conclude on Saturday with the UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race.

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23 AUGUST 2007 Janet Williamson was lucky to make it to her first Audi Hamilton Island Race Week after a spate of bad luck during the 4,500km journey by road from Fremantle in Western Australia. Williamson, who runs her own building company, set off a week out from Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week with her Thompson 980 called Dark Energy loaded onto her purpose-built trailer. Travelling across the Nullabor Plain, she successfully made it to New South Wales and across the Queensland border, which is where her resourcefulness was tested to the limit. “The trailer wheels hung on until Queensland then at a stop I noticed there were wires sticking out of two of them so we replaced those with two eight ply truckies tyres supplied by a local mechanic,” said Williamson. “Unfortunately they unevenly wore down the other two tyres and when I pulled up at a garage to refuel, I found a rim with a tiny piece of rubber on it was all that was left of one tyre. “Another mechanic brought us a couple of more tyres then in the home stretch, some 120 kilometres from Shute Harbour, the trailer lurched and I looked back in the rear vision mirror to see one of my trailer wheels rolling along beside the car. This time we also had a broken hub axle,” she said, shaking her head. Following a quick repair by yet another mechanic, Dark Energy made it to the Airlie Beach regatta and one drowned mobile phone and a busted winch later, they are having a ball at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Today Dark Energy and the rest of the Performance Racing and IRC Racing divisions will contest the 16 nautical mile Whitehaven Beach Race in a forecast light east sou'east breeze. Whether they arrived by road or sea from Airlie Beach or New Zealand, there's no question it’s been well worth the effort for the record fleet of 217 boats competing at this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week which is due to finish this Saturday.

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22 AUGUST 2007 In the Premier IRC division, which today raced a 21 nautical mile course around the islands, Ross Trembath’s Secret Mens Business #1 was one of a number of boats to lay down an early challenge with a brilliant start. Unlike the boat of a similar name, Geoff Boettcher’s Hardys Secret Mens Business which had its Audi Hamilton Island Race Week cut short after a pre-start collision on the first day of racing, luck and good tactics were on the side of the SMB syndicate from Sydney which today scored their best result of the series, a second in the Premier IRC division. Secret Mens Business #1 was Boettcher’s previous boat. John Meadowcraft’s stunning Marten 49 Carerra was the best placed in the Premier IRC division today with Dean Harrigan’s Playstation 3 finding form in the light sou’easterly breeze to finish third. The Cruiser Racer IRC division had their course shortened at Pine Island as the breeze lightened and the tide turned. Mark Griffith’s Raging Bull sailed a brilliant race to pip Anthony Dunn’s Equinox and Jenny King and Murray Owen’s Mahligai in this division. In the IRC Racing division Geoff Ross’ Reichel/Pugh 55 Yendys, skippered by Sean Kirkjian, scored its first handicap win of the series, beating Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks’ You’re Hired, which picked a winner off Pentecost and was leading Wild Oats X and Wild Joe at one stage. Third in division was Bob Steel’s Quest, one of two Transpac 52s racing this week. While the rest of the fleet were sent on a passage race, the Performance Racing fleet enjoyed two windward/leeward races today, Guy and Clark Holbert’s Mumm 30 Rumbo out paced the rest, scoring two wins from two. Alex Douglas’ Synergy also featured twice in the top three today, scoring a third in race one today and a second in race two. In the cruising divisions, which started a different 17 nautical mile course in Dent Passage, Stephen Keal’s Fish Frenzy beat the fleet in Division 1 and in Division 2, Tony Bates Viva La Vita scored its third win to put them ahead on the pointscore by a country mile. Division 3 was won by David Berry’s Escapade. In the Non Spinnaker division, Terence Herbert’s True Colours provisionally won its division. Tomorrow is the famous Whitehaven Beach Race for the IRC Racing and Performance Racing Divisions, starting at 10.25am from the eastern starting line, while those not racing are expected to cruise around to the famous beach for the party to end all parties.

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22 AUGUST 2007 Crews contesting today’s 21 nautical mile race around the picturesque islands of the Whitsundays, race five of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, were treated to a spectacle of two mother humpback whales, one already accompanied by its calf and the other giving birth as the yachts passed by. With the sun shining onto sparkling turquoise water, Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X this afternoon added another win to its unbroken string of line honours victories, but this time they were seriously challenged by Steven David’s Wild Joe, just one minute separating the duelling pair in the closest finish of the regatta. A weapon in light air sailing, Steven David’s Wild Joe, with America’s Cup sailor Adam Beashel on the helm, caught up to the larger Wild Oats X on the first upwind leg, then both were given a sailing lesson. Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks’ You’re Hired went close in under Pentecost Island where the Davidson 60 was either going to park or lift. It was a risk that paid off for You’re Hired, and paid again when Wild Oats X and Wild Joe fell into a windless hole. Suddenly Wild Oats X found itself not only behind one, but two boats - ironically both of them were formerly owned by Bob Oatley. Wild Oats X reclaimed the lead on the long downwind run around Pine Island to Dent Island and finished first over the line. Handicap results will be available shortly.

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21 AUGUST 2007 DIVING INTO AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK Seven years ago, dive instructor Darren Foster was walking the docks during Race Week when he hit on a winning idea - he asked a couple of boat owners would they like their boat scrubbed. For this week’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Foster and a second diver, Randall Glendenning, are up at 4am each day to start scrubbing their first hull as soon as first light breaks, and they work until the fleet pulls away from the dock for their race start. Averaging 10 boats a day between them, the local lads from Freelance Boating Inspections at Airlie Beach like to think they’ve contributed to the fact many of the top five boats in each of the racing divisions is a client of theirs. “We can’t make the difference between first and last but definitely between first and second,” believes Foster. Using what’s commonly known as a ‘doodle bug’, a soft scourer, to remove the slime build up that is common in tropical waters, the pair also advise owners on the condition of their hull and repair any damage while underwater. Apart from the fact they wear wetsuits, Foster and Glendenning are instantly recognisable by their ‘office’, a seven year old pram that carts around their safety gear and is used by Forster’s wife who does the surface work. So how often does a grand prix boat need its hull scrubbed when it’s trying to win Australia’s most highly awarded sailing event? Line honours supremo Wild Oats X is scrubbed every morning while many of the other IRC boats use the service on average every two days.

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21 AUGUST 2007 Each year for the past 10 years, the Hamilton Island Race Week fleet has listened to the dulcet tones of American race official Allegra Torrey, better known as ‘Leggie’, counting them down to the race starts. One of 25 officials on the race management team, which is conducting the racing for a record 217 boats over seven days in this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, each year Leggie makes the annual pilgrimage to Hamilton Island to work as a volunteer. “The location is superb and it’s a wonderful place to run races,” said Leggie, who comes all the way from Connecticut, USA. Leggie is the event timer, sitting in front of the starter’s box next to the flagstaff on the Great Barrier Reef Yacht Club site, which marks one end of the Dent Passage start line that is being used for most of this week’s races. She calls the start sequence on VHF radio to competitors, as well as telling her colleagues which flag to hoist and when. With eight divisions racing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and only five minute intervals between starts, even after 10 years Leggie still feels the adrenaline rush as the boats start circling and then begin the charge to the start line while the next division waits in the stalls for their call up. “The starts are so concentrated that I do get nervous,” she admits. With a different race and format almost every day, Leggie heads to the starter’s box at least an hour-and-a-half before the first scheduled start to check everything is working and to make sure she’s fully briefed on the day’s events. Just like the crews competing at Race Week, teamwork amongst the race officials is crucial. “Just like on a boat, teamwork is critical amongst our team when dealing in a timely manner with the elements and with so many boats. “We have a great race management team at Hamilton Island,” she adds. Leggie began sailing at age eight on Long Island Sound which is between the coast of Connecticut to the north and Long Island New York to the south. With a mother who is a four-time women’s North American champion and a father who holds the participation record for the Newport Bermuda race, Leggie was destined to spend her life around boats. This year’s Leggie is clocking up her 10th anniversary at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week but she has spent a total of 25 years as a volunteer race official. Her home club is the American Yacht Club in New York, where she is a race official. She is also a race official at the Storm Trysail Club, which conducts the Block Island Race Week, and New York Yacht Club, which runs the Newport Rhode Island race, and is involved with Key West Race Week. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week regatta director Denis Thompson acknowledges that volunteers are vital to the successful running of an event this size. “The volunteers take their annual holidays to work long hours for no pay, all for the pleasure of making sure the sailors have a great time on the water. “If you don’t have volunteers, you don’t have an event,” Thompson added. Of the race management team of 25, Leggie travels the furthest with other officials coming from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, many states of Australia and as close as Airlie Beach.

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20 AUGUST 2007   LIFE’S PRETTY CRUISY FOR THE CRUISING DIVISIONS AT AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK   While the divisions contesting the Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race are expected to sail well into the night as they try and complete the 60 mile course in a dying breeze, the cruising divisions are all but returned from their 18 nautical mile race which began at 11am today from Dent Passage. First in Cruising Division 1 on provisional handicap results was Graham Smith’s Scaramouche which looks to have pipped Bruce Finlay’s The Oceanic Hustler and third placed Jeaux de Guerre (David Urry). In Cruising Division 2, Tony Bates’s Northshore 370 took a commanding lead following the starting signal, once they’d hauled back a wayward spinnaker, and went on to win the division from Patrick Smith’s Seastream 650 Celera, one of the most stunning boats contesting Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Celera was skippered today by 2000 Olympian Neville Whitty. Third in Cruising Division 2 was John McPherson’s Nomadess. Cruising Division 3 was the last to leave Dent Passage following their 11.10am starting signal. Life’s not too serious for many in this division with some boats carrying BBQs and the odd outboard motor, spray dodger and dinghy on display. David Berry’s Escapade was first on provisional handicap in this division ahead of Jim Shannon’s Meltemi and Tim Lewis’s Interlude. In the Premier IRC division, there was some drama this afternoon with the bowman on Dean Harrigan’s Beneteau 50 Playstation, Ben Searle, falling overboard during a gybe. Skipper Michael Spies estimates Searle spent around four minutes in the water in an “unpleasant sea” before being retrieved over the transom. Tomorrow is a lay day from racing with a raft of onshore activities planned. More than 200 crew members will tomorrow take part in the Audi Drive Challenge at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week to determine the final winner of the Audi A4 Avant major prize. On the western apron of the airport at Hamilton Island, Audi’s motorsport Ambassador Brad Jones will put the sailors through their paces in a challenge of skill and accuracy. The winning boat from each division will then have their Audi Drive Challenge results plucked from the list, and the overall successor wins the Audi A4 Avant on Saturday night. Other activities planned for tomorrow include the Todd Woodbridge Mixed Tennis Clinic, the famous UBS Moet & Chandon lunch and in the afternoon, The Wolverines will play on the main stage.

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Jack Atley/Hamilton Island

1600HRS, 20 AUGUST 2007   WILD OATS X TAKES LINE HONOURS IN CLUB MARINE CLASSIC EDWARD ISLAND RACE   Bob Oatley’s Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Oats X has this afternoon set a high bar for future contestants by finishing the 59.9 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race in a fast time of 5 hours 11 minutes 27 seconds. Wild Oats crossed the finish line at 14:01:27 in the fourth race of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. The longest race of the event was sailed over a new course this year, taking the fleet southwards to Coppersmith Rock and then north to Edward Island as in previous years, but bringing them back to Hamilton Island around Surprise Rock instead of Pentecost Island. The race office has confirmed that because today’s course was a slightly altered to the one sailed by the Swan 80 Maligaya in 2003, it is a different race to four years ago. The course length is almost identical however. “It’s a nice way to finish the day but it’s all about who wins on handicap,” said skipper Mark Richards this afternoon when Wild Oats X arrived at Hamilton Island Marina. Provisionally Ray Roberts’s Cookson 50 Quantum Racing has scored its second win of the series. Roberts is currently provisionally leading the IRC Racing results with Wild Joe in second and Wild Oats X third. With the last third of the division still to finish, including the dark horse of the regatta, Harold Clarke’s Invincible, it’s too early for Roberts to start celebrating according to race officer Denis Thompson. Reaching a top speed of 24 knots, Wild Oats’ tactician Ian ‘Barney’ Walker, the sole Victorian on the boat, this afternoon said their race was problem free.

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19 AUGUST 2007   ROUND THE ISLANDS RACE TESTS AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK FLEET   The Premier IRC, Performance Racing, Cruiser/Racer IRC and three cruising divisions set off in a moderate to fresh south easterly breeze on two different courses round the Whitsunday islands today, day two of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. It was another fast spinnaker start in Dent Passage, some struggling to pull up in the fast downwind conditions before the gun had fired. Geoff Lavis’s UBS Wild Thing was one of three boats that were a little too eager at the start of the Performance Racing division which sailed the 21 nautical mile course. The Inglis/Murray 50 was individually recalled, losing close to 10 minutes while they struggled to drop their spinnaker before returning to restart. Rod Skellet’s Krakatoa II, the only Pogo 40 currently in Australia, also jumped the start as did the Hick 31 Zutem, skippered by Stephen Hunter. At this afternoon’s press conference, Skellet admitted their day began ordinarily but he’s still impressed with his radical design, which comes complete with 750 litres of water ballast on each side and twin rudders. “It’s pleasant to sail and has no bad habits,” said Skellet this afternoon. Krakatoa II is set up for double handed sailing and Skellet is delighted he can now carry less crew than his previous boat, a Farr 40, and go faster. Geoff Fogarty’s Team Avalon went on to win the Performance Racing division from Peter Goldsworthy’s Volvo 60 - formerly Getaway-sailing.com and named George Gregan Foundation for this regatta - and John McConaghy’s one off, self designed and built 46 footer called Second Time Around. Andrew Short Marine’s mighty Andrew Short Marine Brindabella was powered up in today’s fresh conditions, Short happy to be sailing without company at the front of the Premier IRC fleet. “Two years ago I was here with a Farr 40 and all the big boats would disappear over the horizon. It’s great being lonely,” he laughed this afternoon, referring to the fact it’s him out the front now with his Jutson 79, one of Australia’s most awarded maxis. Colin and Gladys Woods’s Pretty Fly II climbed over the rest of the Premier IRC division today, finishing first off the back of yesterday’s third place in race one. Ross Wilson’s Eagle Rock, another Beneteau 47.7, has also remained in the top three, finishing first yesterday in division and second today. In the Cruiser Racer IRC division, Mark Griffith’s Raging Bull pipped Anthony Dunn’s Equinox, their second top three finish in as many days, and Geoff Pearson’s Arajilla, which won yesterday’s first race of the series. In the non-spinnaker division, Dave Short, who works in the mining industry in the outback of Queensland and unexpectedly found fame at last year’s Race Week when he won the Audi A4 Avant, today skippered Pro Beat Passion to a win in the Non Spinnaker Division. “Today was a blast….literally,” said one of Short’s crew this afternoon. Results for Cruising Divisions 1 and 2 are subject to protest. In Cruising Division 3, Monty Blomfield’s Montego finished top of the results sheet ahead of David Berry’s Escapade and Paul Melling’s Morning Mist. The four Mumm 30s racing in the Performance Racing division enjoyed a thrilling spinnaker ride to South Molle Island today, reaching boat speeds of 16 knots. On Robert Davis’s Mumm 30 Cleopatra, mastman Andrew Baker described today as “wet and bumpy and very exciting”. “Today’s conditions were great for the Mumms, it really got us up and going,” added Baker. His saturated bowman wasn’t looking quite as enthusiastic as Baker talked up their race.

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19 AUGUST 2007 CONDITIONS FRESHEN ON DAY TWO Conditions freshened for day two of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week with plenty of action on the windward/leeward courses for the IRC Racing division. As the sou’easter built to 18-20 knots, Wild Oats X comfortably led Steven David’s Wild Joe and Geoff Ross’s Yendys around the course in this morning’s first race, while further back in the fleet there was action aplenty. After rounding the top mark for the first time, Michael Hiatt’s modified Cookson 50 Living Doll, from Melbourne, found itself in the unenviable position of trawling its kite underwater. After cutting away one spinnaker, which they managed to retrieve with only a small tear, Hiatt’s heavy weather kite then blew out and their vang broke, signalling the end of their race. This afternoon their two torn spinnakers were taken to Airlie Beach to be repaired; however, they anticipate being back on the start line tomorrow for the 60 nautical mile Club Marine Edward Island race which is due to start at 8.50am from Dent Passage. Things turned ugly on Richard Hudson’s Pretty Woman in race one today when their spinnaker shredded, while Leslie Green’s Ginger and You’re Hired also came unstuck a couple of times each. Handicap honours in the first race of the day went to Ray Roberts’s Cookson 50 Quantum Racing, a divisional winner last year, followed by Geoff Ross’s Yendys and Wild Oats X in third. Under a considerably darkened sky and with crews in full wet weather gear, the second race of the day got underway following a short postponement while the top mark was shifted. Graham Wood’s TP52 Wot Yot matched it with Wild Oats X and Wild Joe after the start but couldn’t hang on to the bigger boats, finishing in eighth place on handicap, two places behind arch rival and sistership Quest skippered by Jamie Macphail. Handicap results for this afternoon’s race three of the series were dominated by the bigger boats, Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X winning from Wild Joe and Yendys. Before the start of the first race today, Hobart based Farr 1104 Invincible, which finished second on handicap yesterday, failed its namesake, advising the race committee they were heading ashore to try and repair a broken main halyard before the start of race two. They managed to turn it around and start the second race of the day, finishing seventh on handicap. After suffering mast damage in yesterday’s race, Rob Hanna’s Rogers 46 Shogun has withdrawn from the regatta. Hanna brought his boat up from Geelong to compete in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast race in late July and picked up second overall on handicap in the boat’s debut outing. From there Hanna’s luck turned sour. He had chartered another Rogers 46 to contest the Rolex Fastnet Race in the UK but when the start of that race was delayed due to storm force winds, he and his crew had to withdraw to return to Australia for the start of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Hanna was then laid up with illness and the crew took the boat out for yesterday’s Lindeman Island race but during the race the spreaders moved, splitting the mast.

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18 AUGUST 2007   PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM DAY ONE; HARDYS SECRET MENS BUSINESS HEADING TO MELBOURNE FOR REPAIRS   Provisional results for the Lindeman Island Race have been posted and early celebrations are underway for the divisional winners while for South Australia’s Hardys Secret Mens Business, their campaign is over. Geoff Boettcher’s Hardys Secret Mens Business will be trucked to Hart Marine in Melbourne for repairs after an unfortunate bingle this morning in the pre-start. This afternoon they and Leslie Green’s Ginger protested Steven David’s Wild Joe and won, the jury disqualifying Wild Joe from today’s race. David tonight acknowledged it was “a regrettable incident”. “We hate to see things like this happen. We aren’t here to bump other boats, we are here to win as well as enjoy the spirit of the regatta,” he said. David, Leslie Green and other skippers have offered Boettcher and his crew a ride for the remaining races. Greg Tobin’s Dehler 39 called Dehler Magic, from Airlie Beach, was this afternoon named winner of the Performance Racing division. “It’s a great result…we had a little bit of local knowledge on our side,” said a delighted Tobin. Mackay based Tobin’s “little bit of local knowledge” constitutes 10 years of racing in these waters and today this experience helped immensely. A heavy boat, Dehler Magic found its groove in the sou’easter which Tobin reported peaked at 23 knots before easing back during the afternoon. “We were looking for pressure lines everywhere,” said Tobin. Weather predictions are for more of the same tomorrow, with 15-20 knots out of the south east. The breeze is forecast to ramp up to 20-25 knots on Monday for the 60-nautical mile Club Marine Edwards Island Race for the IRC Racing, Performance Racing, Premier IRC and Cruiser/Racer IRC divisions. “We are enjoying it while we can. If it goes light, the little boats will kill us,” said Tobin, who is competing in his sixth Race Week, his fourth with this particular boat. First on handicap in the Premier IRC division, Ross Wilson’s Beneteau 47.7 Eagle Rock, is also pleased with their early win but with another six days of hard racing ahead, Wilson acknowledges “there is a long way to go”. This is Wilson’s fourth Race Week and with two seconds and a fourth, the ‘bridesmaid’ twice over has his eye on the coveted overall trophy. He’s realistic about his chances however and is prepared for an uphill battle, in particular against the other Beneteaus and the Sydney 47 Balance, skippered by ‘money man’ Paul Clitheroe. Tomorrow the IRC Racing division will be sent on two windward/leeward races off the eastern side of Hamilton Island while the remaining divisions will be sent on a Short Round the Islands Race. Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X scored the double on its first outing, finishing first over the line and first on handicap ahead of Hobart boat Invincible (Harold Clark) and Alan Brierty’s Limit, sailed by a mixed Sydney and West Australian crew. This afternoon the Royal Australian Air Force’s Roulettes buzzed above Hamilton Island, putting on a daredevil aeronautical display for crews and their families and friends. Tonight regatta sponsor Audi is presenting the Collette Dinnigan Resort Collection for 2007-08. Provisional results from the Lindeman Island Race IRC Racing 1st - Wild Oats X (Bob Oatley) 2nd - Invincible (Harold Clark) 3rd - Limit (Alan Brierty) IRC Cruiser/Racer 1st - Arajilla (Geoff Pearson) 2nd – Toy Box (Ian Box) 3rd - Equinox (Anthony Dunn) Premier IRC 1st – Eagle Rock Beneteau 47.7 (Ross Wilson) 2nd – Margaret Rintoul II (Mike Freebairn) 3rd – Pretty Fly Colin & Marvis Wilson) Performance Racing 1st – Dehler Magic (Greg Tobin & Charlie Preen) 2nd – Wallop (Peter Hewson) 3rd – Second Time Around (John McConaghy) Non-spinnaker 1st – Mim (Michael Walter) 2nd – Catalyst (Bryan Hudson) 3rd – O’Carol (Stephen Walsh) Cruising Division 1 1st – Magic (Doug Ryan) 2nd – Scaramouche (Graham Smith) 3rd – Sandstone (Mike Davies)   Cruising Division 2 1st – Viva La Vita (Tony Bates) 2nd – Pyrenees (Stuart Manly) 3rd – Farrago (Tom & Emily McCutchen) Cruising Division 3 1st - Morning Mist (Paul Milling) 2nd - Interlude (Tim Lewis) 3rd - Nessie (William McMillan)

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18 AUGUST 2007   DRAMATIC START TO AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK   Audi Hamilton Island Race Week kicked off today with a colourful spinnaker start of the Lindeman Island Race immediately off the island resort in Dent Passage, but it ended before it had begun for South Australian boat Hardys Secret Mens Business. After last night’s opening ceremony, crews were keen to settle into the week-long racing program and day one didn’t disappoint with a consistent but cool 13-15 knot sou’easter greeting the 217 boat fleet, which quickly became 216. Within minutes of the start of the IRC Racing division, Geoff Boettcher’s Reichel/Pugh 46 Hardys Secret Mens Business was limping back to the marina with two large tears to the hull, one on either side. Boettcher said it was extremely disappointing for the whole crew, who had been training for months and had travelled almost 2,000 nautical miles to be part of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Boettcher said today’s accident occurred when Steven David’s Wild Joe hooked Leslie Green’s Swan 60 Ginger in the pre-start, causing the Swan to slew into Hardys Secret Mens Business resulting in a tear down the port side. As a result of the collision, HSMB then collided with Stephen Mackay’s Cabernet Sauvignon and sustained another tear down their starboard side. “Wild Joe was coming in at very high speed trying to find a gap and swerved to miss Ginger but ended up hooking them, then Ginger swerved into us. “We have to assess now whether the boat has got a structural problem or whether we can patch it – I don’t think we’ll be able to though. “We’re lucky that no one was hurt,” acknowledged Boettcher who is this afternoon protesting Wild Joe, as is Ginger. The cruising divisions started 15 minutes after the scheduled start time to allow those flying in on the 9.20am Jetstar flight from Sydney to hop aboard for race one. With the cruising fleets underway, the gates opened for the IRC Racing division. Andrew Banks and Geoff Morgan’s You’re Hired and Karl Kwok’s Hong Kong registered Beau Geste won the start after hitting the line at speed on a port gybe while the rest of the fleet started on starboard from the pin end. New Zealand boat Ran Tan II, an Elliott 50 owned by John Meade, was briefly third in the line up behind You’re Hired and Beau Geste before Wild Oats X began reeling the smaller boats in one by one. The largest boat in the IRC Racing division, Wild Oats X, with owner Bob Oatley standing at the stern and skipper Mark Richards looking relaxed on the helm, was the runaway line honours winner of race one by 12 and a half minutes with a finish time of 12.50pm for the 25.5 nautical mile course. With an altered course on previous years, Wild Oats X is the new race record holder of the Lindeman Island race. Second over the line was the Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe which managed to recover lost time during the long tack into the sou’easter up the Whitsunday Passage to Lindeman Island to round the south east corner the island in second place, nine minutes astern of race leader Wild Oats X. They managed to hang on to this gap, finishing around nine and half minutes Wild Oats X in second place. They also suffered damage in this morning’s incident and this afternoon have removed their bow sprit for repairs. Ginger’s repair list includes a broken spinnaker pole and a bent stanchion. A number of navigators will no doubt be paying closer attention to the sailing instructions from now on having missed the first and only mark rounding to the north of Dent Island. In the Premier IRC Cruising Division, Andrew Short Marine Brindabella today made its welcome return to Audi Hamilton Island Race Week under new owner Andrew Short. Also sailing in IRC Cruising is Mike Freebairn’s classic Margaret Rintoul II, a 21 time Sydney Hobart entrant, which was purchased by Freebairn earlier this year. Handicap results will be available shortly.