Entries surging at Airlie Beach Race Week
by Di Pearson, ABRW media 23 Jul 2016 07:56 BST
11-18 August 2016
Multihull action at Airlie Beach Race Week © Andrea Francolini
Thirteen days before entries close for the 27th running of Airlie Beach Race Week, numbers are on the rise, with over 100 owners ready for a racing and a social program that is the envy of many.
Numbers are up by 25 on last year's entries at this time. Race Director, Denis Thompson, says to expect up to 125 across the multiple classes and divisions, an increase on last year's 104 starters.
"There are some very good boats attending this year, which will provoke strong competition," Thompson said today.
"Competition in IRC, Multihulls and Sports Boats is at a higher level, and the Trailable and Cruising numbers are particularly healthy, meaning tough competition there too. I am very pleased with the numbers," he said.
Thompson is currently tailoring courses to work with the tides: "We're massaging the courses to make sure they fit with the tides and to make sure the fleets are not sailing against the tide upwind and downwind," he said.
"We want to make sure the courses fit the different fleets. Each day the race officers on each race area will choose the course to suit," said Thompson of a task that takes a lot of thought and time.
Competitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing where they best fit.
There are divisions for IRC Racing, IRC Passage, Performance Racing, Cruising (with divisions for spinnaker and non-spinnaker), Sports Boats, Trailable Yachts, Multihull Racing and Multihull Passage.
Airlie Beach Race Week continues to attract a large multihull legation and they are as fast to enter as they are on the water. Nine owners have so far signed on the dotted line in Multihull Racing.
Among the standouts is Frank Racing, the 10 metre GC32 best known to fans as Vodafone, but not to be confused with her bigger sister, the ORMA 60 of the same name. Simon Hull is bringing his famous foiling cat from New Zealand to take on the locals. It should be a great show.
Frank Racing will be ganged up on by multis from South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and NSW. Top Gun, a Crowther 50, is leaving her Pittwater, NSW home and headed to Airlie Beach. Owner Darren Drew has long term plans for her, including the 2017 Around Australia Race.
Drew says of Top Gun, the is the record holder of the Hong Kong to San Fernando race and Townsville to Cairns race, with an average speed of 17 knots in the latter, "She's a high performance racing cat and has proven to be one of Australia's fastest ocean racing cats.
"She is arguably one of Lock Crowther's finest racing designs and despite her age (built 1987) she is relatively light weight and still a force in Australian multihull racing."
She gets out and about enough, looks go-fast and streamline, but it remains to be seen if she will overcome Frank Racing and her Australian rivals, such as Peter Hawker's Carbon Credit a returnee from South Australia.
The Multihull Passage Series boats will also enjoy their tussles on longer courses. Entries include David Davenport's Misty Sea all the way from WA, Michael Meehan's Play On from NSW and Queenslanders Fiona Kermeen, who finished second overall in 2015 with Mon Amie, and Adam Hunter with Talisker.
Free shuttle bus
Competitors will be pleased to know the shuttle bus returns in 2016. The service will run daily between Abel Point Marina and the Whitsunday Sailing Club from 11 to 18 August at 15 minute intervals from 4:30pm until last returning coach departing the Club at 8:30pm. Whitsundays 2 Everywhere and Whitsunday Transit have kindly donated these services to assist competitors.
Entries for Airlie Beach Race Week's Festival of Sailing close at 2400hrs on Friday 5 August 2016 and has so far attracted entries from Hong Kong, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, NSW and South Australia.
Port of Airlie is now fully booked, and Abell Point Marina has started a wait-list. Entrants yet to book must act now to avoid the inconvenience of anchoring out.
Entries close at 2400 hours on Friday 5 August. Entry and Notice of Race online at www.abrw.com.au/sailing/entries