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.
“The magic this week has taken two years of hard work,” said tactician Malcolm Page, a dual 470 Olympic gold medallist. “Full credit to the whole Hooligan team; we’ve developed the equipment and crew, and learned how to sail the boat.
“The objective was to win Hamilton Island Race Week. To achieve that for the great man Marcus, who does so much for yachting, is really special,” Page added.
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.
“I’m happy to say this has been one of the most memorable weeks of sailing I’ve ever had,” Page added. “The way the team gelled and Gavin [Brady] drove the boat, plus his knowledge of the TPs, was the icing on the cake.”
As the recently appointed Yachting Australia CEO, Page left the younger ones to represent the boat after hours. “With my dual role up here, I haven’t had much time to let my hair down. But at my age that’s probably safer.”
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.
“Our program is like a three-legged stool,” Hamilton explained. “The boat is the boat, 23 years old and an enduring design. The second leg is making sure the boat doesn’t want for anything in terms of maintenance and its sail wardrobe, and the third is the team culture and competition.
“We go out to win but there are no curfews and everyone’s having a good time. I tell the team ‘Where we make our big gains is the back half of the regatta, when everyone else is becoming fatigued’. This team switches on and stays on until we cross the finish line for the last time.”
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.
“You can’t expect to win with a boat like this without a really good crew” said Mewett, adding, “The boat was very well sailed, and the most important thing was having a navigator/tactician who knew the waters around Hamilton Island.”
Hamilton Island divisions
Hamilton Island Yellow division honours went to Peter and Saskia Cook’s Hick 38 GCCM Arctic Blond from Southport Yacht Club.
“I’ve been lucky to do regattas all around the world and this one’s definitely one of the highlights,” Peter said. “Half of our crew are experienced and watching the others grow and develop has been fantastic.”
Saskia paid tribute to the hardworking on-water Race Week team under regatta director Denis Thompson. “The courses were really good and handicapping very fair, which for PHS is a difficult job. It’s been hard sailing and there were no free rides. Our thanks to the race committee. The Blondies had a great time,” she added.
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:
“The week started off light, then the trade winds came in. It’s been a challenging week in terms of the timing of the tides, which did make course selection difficult, but we managed to get all boats home most days.
“We had a good mix across the fleet, from fast cruising boats up to grand prix racers and multihulls.
“For a regatta this size, less than half a dozen requests to re-look at handicaps is pretty amazing, and the results were close in most divisions – which is what you want.
“Thanks to my team, who bring a good mix of experience and work so well together.”
Full results: https://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2025/hirw/index.htm
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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