LIGHT AIR CHANGES THINGS UP AT JEANNEAU AND 74 ISLANDS AIRLIE BEACH RACE WEEK
Day 6 of Jeanneau Yachts presented by Mooloolaba Yacht Brokers and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) 2026 and with light conditions prevailing, quite different to the preceding windy days, competitors sat and waited till 12.30pm for breeze and the fleet went on a race around Pioneer Bay on another glorious day in the Whitsundays.
All boats were out early this morning at the 38th running of Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) regatta. All were keen, as for those who have done six races, a drop came into play, which changed up some of the results. The two Rating Passage divisions, along with the Off the Beach multihulls, were set for two windward/leeward races, along with the VX Ones.
The breeze was slow to materialize for patient competitors who were on the water at 9am, as 11.30am came and went, it was 12.30pm before racing was underway. Both whales and sharks were spotted on Pioneer Bay throughout the course of the day.
Racing on Pioneer Bay provided a wonderful sight for spectators on the water and ashore, including the thousands of tourists who flock to Airlie Beach ever year. It is one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet.
Multihull Passage
Bill Kennedy’s Freedom Express from NSW held the upper hand coming into the day. The Schionning Waterline 1480 was two points ahead Ocean Blue (Trevor Dean, Qld) and Resolute II (Kenneth Gibson, NSW), in second and third respectively, on equal points.
That order has not changed, despite Ocean Blue winning today’s race from Craig Molloy’s Avalanche, with Freedom Express third. What it has done, is leave Ocean Blue one point behind the overall leader. Tomorrow will decide…
“Light airs suit our boat, being smallest and lightest in the fleet. It seems we chose the right way to go on the first leg, which helped and then it was just a run to the finish line. A few overtook me on the way home, but we had enough in reserve to win on handicap,” Dean said ashore. “I’m fortunate to have such a good crew,” he said.
Performance Racing
Heading into the race today, Tim McCall’s Barracuda (Qld) was clinging tight to a three-point lead from Iyas Shaheen’s local boat, Smooth Criminal. A little further back, but looking dangerous, was Tasmanian Hughie Lewis and his Hartbreakers. Tomorrow he will likely drop seventh from Day 2 when Hartbreaker hit a reef and retired.
It all changed, as Smooth Criminal won the race from Barracuda, putting Smooth Criminal in the lead on countback. It has been like this between the two all week, the winner will be known after tomorrow’s final race.
Rating divisions
Team Hollywood continues her way forward in Division 1. Two races, of which Ray Roberts’ Botin 40 (NSW) won one, while Grant Pocklington’s Bakewell-White 40, Anarchy (NSW), which has been closest to taking one from Team Hollywood this week – did – with victory in Race 5. But Roberts’ boat will be difficult to beat now. Dropping his second place, the Sydney sailor has a five-point advantage over Anarchy.
In Division 2, Paul Heyes’ nippy Thompson 920, Road Runner (NSW), is back on top. Two races and two wins gives him a three-point buffer over yesterday’s overall leader, Ikon, a Beneteau First 45.
Performance Cruising
Division 1 was won by David Boekemann’s Bombolo (NSW) from Ian Fankhanel’s Salt. This result has lifted Salt further into the overall lead, eight and a half points in front of Ben Davidson’s Sea Fever.
In Division 2, Paul King brought Nautilass all the way from Western Australia for the regatta and today alone made it worth it, as he scored a win. There was just 29 seconds in it though, to second placed La Troisieme Mitemps, (Matt Doyle, NSW). Host club sailor, Charles Wallis, completed the top three and leads overall with a day to go.
Wayne McNee’s Celebrity (NSW) was successful in Division 3, with Geoff Adams’s Rampallion (Vic) in second place.
McNee has a rather heavy 1981 built Swarbrick S111 that normally abhors light air, but as he explained, “The crew got it all together today. We seemed to pick the right way to go. We don’t usually go well in light air, but we seemed to do well on the first leg and kept it going from there,sailing in 5-8 knots that dropped down to 3 knots at some stages.”
Off the Beach Multihulls
Two races on Pioneer Bay in a light breeze of up to 8 knots changed the complexion of results in the mix of multihulls.
Terry Bailey came all the way from New Zealand to sail Teal Spirit, a Weta 4.4 and today, two wins made it all worthwhile. The wins have given him the overall lead on countback to Stuart House’s Nacra 500 mk11 school 1up, The Bandicoot (Qld). The winner is likely to come from one of these two boats tomorrow.
Bailey was here last year, slipped over, saw a doctor who thought it was a slipped disc, but Bailey knew that was not the case. He soon after discovered he had cancer, which fortunately is now in remission.
“But I haven’t been sailing since I left here last year. One, because of the cancer and then it got too cold at home,” said Bailey, who is disappointed the other Wetas are not here – there was a record 13 last year. “They forgot to tell me they weren’t coming,” he said.
Having purchased Teal Spirit here last year, Bailey leaves it at his son’s place in Brisbane, to make it easier to come to Airlie Beach.
Describing his day, the Kiwi sailor, one of many here doing well at Race Week, said: “The Nacras are faster than me, but on the breeze I’m competitive with them. They get me downwind though.”
Bailey also made a surprising confession: “I’m not good in light air, but I’m slowly getting better at it.” He certainly had to be good at it today, as the wind reached a maximum of just 8 knots.
“I love sailing here. I enjoy the camaraderie, especially ashore. The Nacra guys have been great at helping me get the boat in and out of the water too. I’m still not back to full strength after the cancer,” Bailey ended.
VX One
Rob Douglass’ Dollop (NSW) won the VX One division here last year and was always going to be the one to beat this year, although only four are racing this time.
Two races were put to bed today and 11 have been sailed in total, with two race drops now in place. Dollop scored two bullets to build a four-point lead from Scott Day’s Great Xcape (NSW) which finished second in both races.
Tomorrow is the final day of racing and by early evening our new champions will be known. Racing will get underway from 10am, weather permitting.
For full results in all divisions, news, photos and more, head to: www.abrw.com.au