Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 3
by Lisa Ratcliff 19 Aug 2014 11:52 BST
16-23 August 2013
The Whitsundays turned on the best yet for the 182-strong fleet at the midway point at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Three days down, a well-earned lay day tomorrow then three more to wrap up the premiere series.
Consistent sou'easters at 10-12 knots and sunshine blessed the fleet. IRC divisions 1 and 2 and performance racing completed the stunning 32 nautical mile Club Marine medium distance race around North Molle and Henning islands back to the finish in Dent Passage off Hamilton Island Yacht Club.
Bob Oatley was aboard his 100 footer Wild Oats XI for today's race, so was guru yachting journalist Bob Fisher all the way from the UK for his first Race Week.
"We are tinkering away doing our own thing as we get ready for this year's Hobart race," said Wild Oats XI's helmsman Mark Richards this afternoon off the back of another line honours win.
On corrected time Karl Kwok's TP52 Team Beau Geste leads IRC division 1 thanks to today's second overall win. Stephen Barlow's Farr 40 called Forty is the new pointscore leader in division 2 and Matt Owen's Local Hero is refusing to give up the top spot in division 3.
Growth in the multihull and cruising divisions have boosted the Race Week fleet. Five multihulls were part of the inaugural multihull division in 2013. This year 21 racing and cruising multihulls answered the call.
Ian Torode's Lightwave 38 called Fluffy Muffy took overall honours in today's around-the-islands race in the multihull cruising division. "Today was a perfect regatta day," said Torode. "We had a lovely start and got our nose in front so were quite happy. There are three of us on board: my brother and I plus a ring-in from the local gym."
The rise of the multihulls is only going to increase says the owner of the Catana 59 Cap Rocat, Peter Dyer. "It was always Airlie Beach regatta that welcomed multihulls. Racing multis is becoming more and more popular; Hamilton Island is a mecca for it. I believe sales are increasing by 15% a year. With the America's Cup using multihulls I think you'll see faster boats being built and more people wanting to be first across the finish line."
Three bullets for Leslie Green's Ginger on the windward/leeward course at Turtle Bay to the east of Hamilton Island have the Sydney boat comfortably out in front at the half way mark of the MC38 class' Australian championship. Ginger's smiling tactician David Chapman said, "Today was about good teamwork. There was no right side of the course; it was pretty shifty. We sailed smart and found clear lanes and good boat speed. We took the opportunities when they presented themselves."
Light air sailing isn't optimal for the 27 ton Maxi Ragamuffin owned by Keith Batt, but the three-time Sydney Hobart line honours winner managed a win on corrected time in Cruising division 1 today, Tuesday August 19, 2014.
Tomorrow is a day of rest, for crews to pack lunch and head to Whitehaven beach or one of the many other world-beating natural wonders at and around Hamilton Island. For those staying on the island there's a full program of activities starting with free beachside yoga at 7am, the Audi Drive Challenge from 8am-5pm, Beachside Pool Party from 11am at the main pool and champagne lunch presented by Piper Heidsieck at the Outrigger Marquee and the Charles Heidsieck and MR PORTER.COM lunch at qualia.
Racing resumes Thursday and the forecast for S-SE 14-18kts, potentially stronger locally at times, has the near 2,000 gathered yachties salivating at the chance to ramp up.
Adventures of a Sailor Girl
All the adventures and news from Adventures of a Sailor Girl from the first day of racing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week!
Interviews include: David Chapman (tactician on leading MC38 Ginger), Denis Thompson (Race Director), Silas Nolan (Wild Oats XI, Ichi Ban, Shockwave), Adrian Finglas (RQYS Youth Melges program), Steve Quigley (Wild Oats XI Marine Architect), Callum Cecil (bow on 2nd MC38 Dark Star).
Adventures of a Sailor Girl - #AHIRW #3 by Sunset Radio on Mixcloud
Maxi Ragamuffin's comeback
The 27 ton bullet-proof aluminium built Maxi Ragamuffin is making its racing comeback at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week following a 21 year lull when the old girl toiled as a charter workhorse.
Maxi Ragamuffin is a German Frers design built in Mona Vale in Sydney in 1979, the same year when racing as Bumblebee IV for John Kahlbetzer the boat took line honours in the Sydney to Hobart. Under Syd Fischer's charge another two line honours triumphs would belong to the famous maxi and Ragamuffin moniker, in 1988 and 1990.
The boat joined the 93-boat fleet at the inaugural Hamilton Island Race Week in 1984 and at least one part of the boat has been a permanent fixture at the island since 2009. The 30m aluminium flagpole on the flagdeck at Hamilton Island Yacht Club used for starting and finishing races at Race Week is the mast off Bumblebee IV which was lost overboard in Sydney Harbour then salvaged.
The mast was repaired and re-stepped in the boat and eventually replaced some years later by a more modern version. The original was stored in a warehouse in Sydney and forgotten until it came to the new yacht club's finishing touches, when Commodore of HIYC Iain Murray thought it a fitting addition.
Maxi Ragamuffin's new owner Keith Batt has grand plans for the 80-footer he purchased less than a year ago starting with Race Week August 16 to 23, then the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race in December.
In seven years Maxi Ragamuffin will head to Europe and the UK to retrace the epic sailing journey of the Nant Estate's original settler who made the 10,000 mile journey from Cardiff to Van Diemen's Land in 1821 to set up a whisky distillery.
Batt bought the convict built sandstone mill, last used in 1884, in Tasmania's Central Highlands in 2004 and is successfully distilling under the Nant name. "We've found French made mill stones the early settlers brought out from Calais in the paddocks at the property," said Batt, the CEO of Nant Distilling Company.
Some yachts in the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week fleet have power winches, electric furling sails and canting keels. It's old fashioned grunt on Maxi Ragamuffin with the original cleats and winches and plenty of lugging, grinding and a heart-starting workout at every sail change and hoist for the 17 man crew.
Given its vintage, trying to find parts for the aging deckware is proving challenging. Graham 'Scooter' Eaton from AME is overseeing the refurb and he's had to arrange for replacement parts to be specially milled.
Some of the boat's original sails dusted off for Race Week haven't been used since 1993; they were dug out of storage at Airlie Beach. So far the big heavy boat hasn't had the chance to wind up in the light breezes, or test the strength of the sail cloth in the gusts.
Also in Maxi Ragamuffin's cruising division 1 is another big boat from a by-gone era - Condor, a two-time line honours winner in the Sydney Hobart race and winner of the famous Fastnet race out of England, and Whitebirds, an aluminium built Kel Steinman design originally launched as Bobsled.
The norm at these regattas is the workers sleep in the boat while the boat owner rents an apartment ashore. Batt is clearly enamoured with his new purchase. He sleeps on his boat and the rest of the crew stay in rented accommodation.
Results will be available at www.topyacht.net.au/results/2014/ahirw/series/index.htm and the event website is www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au