Hamilton Island Race Week
Sails are packed away and results tabled for the more than 155 Australian and international boats contesting the pinnacle 40th anniversary Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX.
The morning’s pre-race nerves shifted to the waters around Hamilton Island, particularly for those on the precipice of a trophy result, hoping the final race would secure their podium spot.
For other division leaders, accolades were received yesterday, but they still joined their division-mates for a final blast around the islands in south-easterly breeze at 11-15 knots.
Rating divisions
Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan, skippered by well-known international yachtsman Gavin Brady, had the Rating 1 win in the bag yesterday and still closed out the six-day series with a second in the final 25 nautical mile around-the-islands race.
Blackmore won the arbitrary division at the inaugural Race Week in 1984 with his boat, The Manly Ferry, and now has six Race Week campaign victories to his credit.
Sitting behind Hooligan on the points ladder are two other TP52s, Peter White’s First Light and Mark Spring’s Highly Sprung, both from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
David and Theresa Hamilton’s Farr 40 Seeking Alpha from Middle Harbour Yacht Club reigned supreme in Rating 2 division, their first northern campaign having returned to Sydney late last year from living and working overseas.
The top-tier crew includes Mitch White, North Sails’ Dick Parker and tactician Tom Spithill alongside Theresa and daughter Emily. Only firsts and seconds across seven races gave Seeking Alpha a comfy seven-point buffer to second place, Ron Epstein’s JPK1180 Bacchanal and the well-sailed Adams 10 Wazza Red Boat in third.
Ray Roberts’ Botin 40 Team Hollywood seems unbeatable in Race Week’s Super 40 division, beating Sam Haynes’ Cape 31 Celestial and Phil Simpfendorfer’s Melges 40 Veloce 4 on performance handicap.
Multihulls
Stuart Cox’s Stealth 12.7 Cut Snake from RQYS was the strongest in Multihull Racing division, finishing in the top spot by five points from Dara Johnson’s futuristic Gunboat 68 Slingshot – which spent some time sailing on one hull this week but needed more puff to really light up – and Stuart Malouf’s Stealth 12 Coconuts.
Ian Mewett’s Lagoon 570 Social Platform is Multihull Hamilton Island Black division winner and Multihull White division first place goes to Malolo, a Gunboat 48 owned by Erin Mhley from the New York Yacht Club.
Hamilton Island divisions
Hamilton Island Yellow division honours went to Peter and Saskia Cook’s Hick 38 GCCM Arctic Blond from Southport Yacht Club.
David Gotze’s Lyons 60 Triton pulled off a first Race Week division win for the owner who has campaigned with other boats. “The crew was amazing – we sailed so well and had friendly rivalry with David Kellett’s Sydney. It’s my first time not sailing in a Rating division – we loved the island series!”
Second to Triton in Hamilton Island Light Blue division is Sydney and third is Rob Aldis’ Daguet 2, a Mylius 50 from Middle Harbour and the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
Adrian Castle’s Townsville-based Adams 10.6 Salty picked up Hamilton Island Orange first place. Shane McKay’s Ker 11.3 Kerazy (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron) beat Wayne Millar’s evergreen Murray 41 Zoe on a countback in the closely fought Hamilton Island Pink division.
Roger Gunn’s Fareast 28r Karma Kaze is “the little boat that could,” said Gunn on hearing he’d triumphed in the Trailer Yacht division. “It’s been sensational; we’ll definitely be back. Race Week has always been on my bucket list,” said the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron member who drove three days to be part of the premier winter sailing event.
Second was Andrew McInnes’ Seascape 24se Alfina and third was Paul Morris’ RL24 Treasure Island.
Glenn Myler’s Tasmanian Beneteau Oceanis 43 Thylacine One is the Non-Spinnaker division top placegetter. Myler won the Melbourne to Osaka Race as the co-skipper of the RP66 Alive.
Final words from regatta director Denis Thompson
Denis Thompson has been Race Week regatta director since 2007, taking over from Warwick Hoban who held the position from the event’s inception in 1984. Denis gave his thoughts on the 40th edition on the final day of racing:
