The front-runners are comfortably out of reach in several divisions while in others, Saturday’s final island passage race will decide the victors and the spoils at the 40th anniversary of Hamilton Island Race Week, presented by AMEX.
Success comes in different forms. On the Hamilton Island Yacht Club Bommie Deck, an afternoon marriage proposal delivered a “yes!” from the unsuspecting bride-to-be, who had been out watching the racing, embracing her sailing connections.
On the racetrack in patchy 12-14 knot south-easterlies, a fourth corrected-time race win for Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan, skippered by Gavin Brady, all but assures Blackmore of the sixth Race Week win he badly wanted.
David Hamilton’s Farr 40 Seeking Alpha from Sydney has outclassed the Rating 2 division and is set for victory as the series wraps up tomorrow, Saturday August 23.
Graeme Etherton’s 36-year-old Crowther 32 Windspeed, called The Boat, could be overshadowed by the giants in the Multihull Hamilton Island White division. Travelling from Townsville to the Whitsundays, The Boat is the smallest and oldest in its division and is crushing it in the pointscore, sitting in equal first place with the Gunboat 48 Mololo.
Handicapping every boat creates an even playing field, which is how a 32-foot catamaran can compete against the latest lightweight carbon fibre 55-footer, Terry Robinson’s Cure55 Miyu.
“It’s good to race against the quality of the boats here; and it’s challenging with the current and tides,” Etherton said. “Everyone’s very gentlemanly on the start line – it’s refined racing – and they go past me pretty quickly.”
Ray Roberts’ champion Botin 40 Team Hollywood is on track for yet another Race Week division triumph, both under IRC and Super 40 handicap, heading into the sixth and final day of racing.
“I’ve lost count,” Roberts answered, when asked to tally his Race Week wins.
He sailed at the first Race Week in 1984 on Too Impetuous and since then, Roberts and six of his ‘Hollywood’ boats have regularly featured on the podium. “This boat suits the conditions here, and if you sail it well it pays you the results,” Roberts said. “We’ve had really good competition this week with Veloce and the Cape 31’s.”
Navigator Steve Taylor, who is new to the Hollywood program, says Roberts’ campaign is a well-oiled machine. “The team culture is discipline and perfection. There’s a high standard throughout the boat; when you’re the highest rating boat in the fleet you must race yourself.”
Sam Haynes’ Cape 31 Celestial, racing for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, where he is Commodore, is holding second place in the Super 40 division behind Team Hollywood, and leads the Cape 31 fleet. The overall winner of the 2022 and 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart races with namesake Celestial boats said at Hamilton Island, “When you get the Cape tuned up, they’re very responsive, but very wet!”.
Hamilton Island Pink division is one where the closing race will decide the placings. Bobby’s Girl and Zoe are tied on points, in first and second, and Kerazy is one point off the leaders, setting up for a humdinger tomorrow.
The forecast for Saturday August 23 is partly cloudy and south-easterly winds at 12-16 knots.
Full results: https://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2025/hirw/index.htm
Day 5 racing video highlights: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Aq5763tYv/
For more information, videos, and images about the Race Week, visit the official website.
Learn more about the history of Hamilton Island Race Week here.
Nic Douglass – Sailing Content Manager m. 0402 454 885 e. nic@nicdouglass.org
Lisa Ratcliff – Specialist Content Creator m. 0418 428 511 e. lisa@occ.net.au
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