Fun in the sun this winter

If you have Hamilton Island or another tropical race week on your to-do list, this year is a good time to act as Roger McMillan reports.

In August and September, the temperature in Victoria and Tasmania will probably be 14deg C. In Perth, South Australia and New South Wales, it won’t be much warmer. But in Far North Queensland competitors at the three major race weeks will be in shorts and t-shirts, enjoying tropical weather, close racing and some fantastic social events.

There are lots of reasons to go to these “northern” race weeks at Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island. But this year I’d like to throw in one more – while racing, partying and holidaying you will be helping the Queensland economy get back on its feet after a horror summer of floods and cyclones. It’s a very good excuse to go – and you won’t have any trouble convincing your partner and crew.

The three regattas are cleverly spaced, so you can attend one, two or all three of them. They each have their own unique character. And once you are there, you may as well stay on for some rest and relaxation.

Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, August 12-18.

Airlie Beach is the “tropical shirt” regatta. Competitors enjoy close racing in a number of classes, including a very competitive sports boats division, then head for the beer tent at Able Point Marina. Here they mix and mingle, dissect the day’s racing, tell lies about previous victories and losses, and boogie to the country rock sounds of John Clinton and the Wolverines, who pump out some Jimmy Buffet and a few of their own songs such as the legendary “A Bloody Great Day to Go Sailing”.

There is always a good battle in the premier IRC division, where Living Doll takes on the likes of Evolution Racing, Georgia, Victoire and Wired. Other divisions include IRC Cruising, Performance Racing, Cruising with and without spinnaker, sports boats, Super 30s and Ross 780s.

Meridien Marinas shareholder and RQYS Commodore, Russell McCourt, said that there won’t be a lot of changes at Airlie Beach this year. “We are refining the courses a bit, but we feel we’ve got the racing pretty right,” he said. “We’re hoping to involve the town a bit more by holding a few more social events such as a dinner at the Hog’s Breath Café, but otherwise it’s business as usual.”

Russell said that the Port of Airlie development was open but it had been decided to leave the event headquarters at Abel Point this year as there was still some “tidying up” to do at the new Port. He predicted that next year’s event would be based at Port of Airlie, which will bring everyone closer to town and all the accommodation and restaurants that it offers. However, Abel Point is just a short walk over the hill from the town centre.

If you enjoy good racing followed by a few beers and some laid-back social activities, then Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week is a good place to start.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, August 19-17.

Hamilton Island is the best organised and most up-market race week in Australia. Last year, the island’s CEO and yachting legend, Glenn Bourke, described it as “Cowes with culture and sunshine”.

It helps that the Oatley family owns the whole island, so they can control delivery of the event, along with all the accommodation, food and beverage supply and the entire social program, which is extensive. This is a race week where nothing is left to chance.

The racing program is dominated by the IRC division, because Hamilton Island is the final leg of the Audi IRC Australian Championship, and with a new Audi car as the prize, competition gets very fierce. All the leading 50 and 60 footers, such as Loki, Wild Oats X, Living Doll, Black Jack and Scarlet Runner make an appearance, along with a few Kiwi boats which this year will probably include Georgia, Wired and Ray Haslar’s new Reichel Pugh, Rikki.

Other divisions include IRC Passage, Performance Racing, Cruising, Non-spinnaker, SB3, sports boats and even superyachts.

The big marina on the island is split into two “sides” with the flash carbon boats closest to the Hamilton Island Yacht Club and a vast array of production boats rafted up on the southern side.

Back on shore, families play on the beach or in the pool, female partners of sailors dress up for the fashion parades and the Moet lunch or wander down to the tennis courts for a lesson from Todd Woodbridge, and in the evenings some attend the special dinners such as the Deadliest Catch seafood feast while others simply patronise the bar and listen to top Australian bands playing in the presentation area.

Celebrity-spotters can have fun looking for international actresses, TV personalities and the Sydney “A” List, who regularly make the pilgrimage at this time of year.

In recent years Hamilton Island Race Week has gone much more “up market” than the old days of golf carts being driven into the marina and wild parties raging till dawn at Whitehaven Beach. The racing is more serious and the social program is more structured. But it is still a whole heap of fun and if you like events that are well-organised and run with the competitors’ enjoyment in mind, then Hamilton Island should definitely be on your bucket list.

Things to do in the Whitsundays.

The Whitsundays enjoy a world-wide reputation as a holiday destination. Think of the weather in your part of the world in August, and then picture yourself taking an extra week off in the tropics to help Queensland back onto its feet.

Trips to the Great Barrier Reef are the logical place to start, either on a tourist boat, in a charter yacht from one of the dozens of charter companies or as part of a scuba diving expedition. You can also get a bird’s eye view from a light plane which can pick you up at Proserpine or Hamilton Island airports.

Other possibilities are a round of golf at the new 18-hole course on Dent Island, a picnic on the white sands at Whitehaven Beach, crocodile spotting on the Proserpine River, a day’s sailing on one of the legendary maxis such as Condor which operate
out of Abel Point Marina, or just kicking back beside the resort pool with a cold beverage and laughing as the south of the country freezes.

Tourism Queensland has created a Season of Sailing program to encourage sailing-based holidays, and all information on packages and tour options are available on the website www.queenslandholidays.com.au/sailing.

Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week, September 19-27.

The third member of the triumviate is Magnetic Island Race Week. This is promoted by Sunferries, who run passenger and freight services to the island, but the racing is run by the Townsville Yacht Club.

Last year the regatta attracted 68 entries, mainly from the host club, and offered IRC, PHS, Cruising and Multihull divisions. Like Airlie Beach, it has a reputation for being a friendly, laid-back regatta with a casual social program that fits the tropical climate.

Organisers would like to encourage more boats to continue north after Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island, and to get people to fly in to crew on club boats or charter one of the local yachts.

I haven’t attended this regatta, but I have spent time on Magnetic Island where it is held, and I can tell you that the race area is magnificent, the facilities are superb and there are plenty of things for non-competitors to enjoy while the boats are out racing.

Magnetic Island is just eight kilometers off the coast, directly opposite the city of Townsville. If you are going to the regatta, spend at least a couple of extra days on the island and another two or three in Townsville itself.

Travelling around the island is easy and cheap with a rented Mini Moke, you can get up close and personal with some native animals (including koalas, snakes, crocodiles and parrots) at the wildlife park, you can snorkel on coral reefs, learn to scuba dive, take a guided sea kayak tour, hire a beach catamaran, go horse riding, play golf or, again, just sit by the pool or the beach and enjoy the magnificent views.

I did a circumnavigation of the island with Shaun Watson of Tropic Sail in Townsville, and a “must see” destination is Horseshoe Bay on the northern side, whether by boat or car. It’s a magnificent white sand beach, with a hotel, restaurants and shops.

Back in Townsville, a trip to the Reef HQ aquarium allows you to see all the local sealife including sharks, turtles and reef fish, and the Museum of Tropical Queensland has an excellent display devoted to the wreck of HMS Pandora, the ship that was sent to pick up the mutineers from the Bounty.

Help yourself and Queensland.

Frankly, there is no-where I would rather be in August/September than yacht racing in the tropics, and when that also involves having a few beers with my mates afterwards and listening to some good music, well the prospect is very appealing.

If you are a yacht owner, it is worth getting your crew together and taking or sending the boat north for at least one of the regattas. If you don’t have a boat, crew positions are often available and you can register on the event websites. Another option is to charter a boat for one of the cruising divisions, although you have to be in early for this, or you can crew on one of the old maxis that are usually entered in the regatta by Prosail.

This year, more than ever, all the companies involved in the tourist industry in Queensland need our help to put their state back together. It’s not a bad way to lend a hand – by helping yourself to a tropical sailing holiday. I hope to see you there.