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Most recent news at
top, start at bottom..... by Lisa Ratcliff and Susan Boyd |
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The Viva La Vita crew with Audi A4 Avant
Audi's Joerg Hofmann is on the right |
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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
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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 |
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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. |
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