Winter Sailing Down Under

Queensland, Australia - While many in the Northern Hemisphere are stuck in what is less-than-affectionately known as the month of Foggust, or as the Dog Days of Summer, depending on your latitude, it's mid-Winter south of the equator, and the big boats are racing at Hamilton Island, Australia.  Hamilton Island is hardly a wintery spot.  Enjoying the same latitude as Hawaii, it's not like there's ice in the rigging of the race boats, but there are big seas, big winds, and big action on the waters off Queensland, as the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is underway.

Over 200 boats are entered to compete in the various races, ranging in size from 24 to 66 feet.  So far in the racing, which began on Friday the 22nd, the action has been exciting, with the formula one yachts like Wild Oats X and Black Jack putting on quite a show.  With the winter winds reaching 20 knots, this week-long event promises some of the fastest monohull racing we'll see for a few weeks, and the top speeds of the high-end yachts in the series are well into the double-digits.

The racing will continue throughout the week, and conclude on Saturday. 

 - YC for YachtPals.com

Hamilton Island Race Week Entrants

IRC Grand Prix - Hamilton Island Race Week
Alegria      Archambault A40 RC      Rodney Jones      Mooloolaba
Arajilla     Archambault 35     Geoff Pearson     Sydney
Audi Centre Melbourne     Corby IRC 49     Chris Dare     Melbourne
Ausmaid     Farr 47     Bruce Absolon     Hamilton Island
Black Jack     Reichel Pugh 66     Peter Harburg     Brisbane
Bluewater     Beneteau First 45     Graham  Jones     Port Douglas
Carrera     Marten49     John Meadowcroft     Auckland NZ
Cougar ll     TP52     Alan Whiteley     Melbourne
Cracklin Rosie     Farr 40     Robert(Robbo) Robertson     Brisbane
Exile     DK46     Nick George     Adelaide
Hitchhiker     Frers 41     Peter Briggs     Perth
Living Doll     Cookson 50 modified     Michael Hiatt     Melbourne
Piping Hot     Fast 42'     Greg Poole     Brisbane
Pussy Galore     Cookson 50 modified     Anatole Masfen     Auckland
Quantum Racing     Cookson 50     Raymond Roberts     Sydney
Quest     TP 52     Bob Steel     Sydney
Secret Mens Business 3     Reichel Pugh 47     Geoffrey Boettcher     Adelaide
Shockwave- Club Marine     R/P 80     Andrew  Short     Sydney
Shogun     Roger 46     Robert Hanna     Geelong
Sled     Farr 47 Custom     Simon Benson     Southport
Splash Gordon     Farr 40 OD Modified     Stephen  Ellis     Sydney
Wild Joe     Reichel Pugh 60     Steven David     Sydney
Wild Oats X     Reichel Pugh 66     Robert Oatley     Sydney
Wired     Bakewell-White 52     Rob  Bassett     Auckland NZ
XLR8     Reichel Pugh 46     Graeme Troon     Melbourne
Yendys     Reichel Pugh 55     Geoffrey Ross     Sydney

IRC Premier Passage - Hamilton Island Race Week
Balance     Sydney 47     Paul Clitheroe     Sydney
Belle     IY60     David Currie     Melbourne
Eagle Rock     Beneteau First 47.7     Ross Wilson     Melbourne
Esprit     Beneteau 47.7     Garry Anderson     Melbourne
Honeysuckle     Beneteau first 45     Ray Harris     Sydney
Imagination     Beneteau 47.7     Annette and Robin  Hawthorn     Sydney
Margaret Rintoul V     Frers 61     Graeme Wilson     Sydney
Noonmark VI     Swan 56     Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy     London
Playstation 3     Beneteau first 50     Dean Harrigan     Sydney
Spirit of Lexus     Farr 42     Michael Keough     Adelaide
St Hilliers Quest     Nelson Merick 46     Tim Casey     Sydney
Terra Firma     Sydney 47     Nicholas Bartels     Melbourne
Tulip     Swan 45     Bernie van't Hof     Sydney

IRC Passage - Hamilton Island Race Week
Alacrity     Beneteau Frist 44.7     Matthew  Percy     Southport
Bear Necessity     C&C 115     Andrew & Pauline Dally     Sydney
Brookwater Golf     Sydney 36 CR     Luke McGrath     Brisbane
Chancellor     Beneteau First 40.7     Malcolm Shaw     Sydney
Dumaresq     Endeavour 24     Stuart Dart     Sydney
Equinox     Sydney 36CR     Anthony  Dunn     Sydney
Mahligai     Sydney 46     Murray Owen / Jenny Kings Owen     Sydney
Onya     Sydney 36CR     Andrew Hurt     Sydney
Onyva     Beneteau First 44.7     David  Elliott     Brisbane
Outsider N T     Farr 11.6     Geoff Anderson     Brisbane
Panacea     Beneateu First 40.7     Adam Shand & Laurie Flynne Mandurah WA
Pelagic Magic     Beneteau 40.7     Ross McDonald     Sydney
Real Yachting Adventures     Beneteau 40.7     Dayne Sharp     Sydney
Secret Mens Business #1     Murray 42   Curtis / Trembath / Snedden Sydney
The Philosophers Club     Sydney 36cr     Peter Sorensen     Sydney
Ultimate Positioning     Beneteau First 44.7 S/D     Tam Faragher     Brisbane
Zen     Sydney 38     Gordon Ketelbey     Sydney
Zoe     MBD 41     Wayne Millar     Townsville

PHS Grand Prix - Hamilton Island Race Week
Another Fiasco     Jutson 43     Damian Suckling     Airlie Beach
Cadi/Gold     Jones 42     Peter Blake / Kate Mitchell      Mooloolaba
Dream Lover     MBD 40     Rick Morgan     Brisbane
Fly Blown     Melges 32     Guy Holbert / Mick Hinchey      Port Stephens
Getaway-Sailing.com     Volvo 60     Peter Goldsworthy     Sydney
Isuzu Marine     Jones/Hart Custom 14m     Jock & Hamish MacAdie  Melbourne
Pla Loma IV     DK 43     Robert Reynolds     Sydney
Samarkand     Pacific 50     Walter Carpenter     Sydney
Simrad Melges     Melges 24     Heath Walters     Sydney
Surefoot     Norlin 38     Rodney Sawyer     Airlie Beach
Team Avalon     Melges 24     Dugald Russell     Sydney
The Real Thing     ID 35     Garry Holder     Sydney
Tiger One     Beneteau 43     Shane Wilkinson     Melbourne
UBS Wild Thing     Inglis / Murray 50     Geoff Lavis     Sydney
Wasabi     Sayer 12     Bruce McKay     Sydney
Whalewatchingsydney     Beneteau 47.7  Ian Ford / John Griffin  Sydney
Wild Spirit     Elliott 9.6M CR     Kevin Horne     Maroochy River

PHS Passage - Hamilton Island Race Week
Audi Central Coast     Beneteau 47.7 First     Ian  Creak     San Franciso USA
Batemanns Bay Adventure     Sydney 38     Peter Walsh     Sydney
Bombolo     Beneteau 36.7     David Boekemann     Sydney
Celera     Dubois 65     Patrick Smith     Brisbane
Colortile Stampede     Inglis 39     Warren  Buchan     Port Hacking
Condor     IOR Maxi     Molloy David     Shute Harbour
Copernicus     Radford 12     Greg Zyner     Sydney
Dances With Waves     Beneteau 40.7     Jim Thomas     Sydney
Flying Fish Let loose     Beneteau 40.7     James Dobie     Sydney
Gusto     Northshore 370     Colin  Wells     Sydney
Hans-on     Hanse 370e     Nick Cox Col Thomas     Mooloolaba
Jeaux de Guerre     Jeanneau DS 49     David Urry     Adelaide
Just Quietly     Elan 37     Donald & Sue Swanson     Sydney
Kioni     Beneteau First 47.7     Stuart  McLeod     Melbourne
Lady Fay     Hanse 430     John Moore     Airlie Beach
Local Hero     BH 36     Peter Mosely     Sydney
Marisa     Morgan 780     Reaburn Reynolds     Brisbane
MDBS Spirit of Koomooloo     Frers 45     Mike Freebairn     Brisbane
Mondo     Farr 36     Ray Sweeney     Brisbane
Overdrive     Northshore 380 Sports     Andrew Johnson     Coffs Harbour
Perfect Match     Bavaria Match 35     Alun Lewis     Sydney
Pippin     Farr 37     Roger Sayers     Mooloolaba
Raffles     Sayer 35     Jennifer Fitzgibbon     Brisbane
Shiralee     Beneteau Oceanis 473     Robert & Sue Segaert     Sydney
Sinewave     Custom Davidson Cruiser     Gregory Mason     Sydney
Spray Drift    Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 Performance Dean Corbett Mooloolaba
Still Dangerous     Beneteau Oceanis 423     Ivor Burgess     Sydney
Tap Dancer     Farr 11.6     Colin White     Townsville
Ticket of Leave     Beneteau 40.7 First     Max Prentice     Sydney
Verify Antipodes     Beneteau 523     Greg Newton     Sydney
Viva La Vita     Northshore 370 Sports     Tony Bates     Sydney
Wirrajurnd     Sydney 32 One Design     Andy Kearnan     Sydney

Classic
Inez     Mason 44     Ian Ritchie     Sydney

Cruising - Hamilton Island Race Week   
Airlie Retreat     Beneteau Cyclades 43     George Challoner     Hamilton Island
Amadeus     Bavaria 44     Brennan O'Dempsey     Townsville
Amadeus     Bavaria 36     Peter Johnson     Airlie Beach
Amalie    Jeanneau Sun Oddessy 37  Intex Equities Corporation  Shute Harbour
Apres Vous     Beneteau     John Griffin     Sydney
Austock La Gi Gi     Beneteau Cyclades 43.4     Peter  Bowe     Shute Harbour
Beryl D     Beneteau     Alan Dorman     Lake Macquarie
Bliss     Jotsun 60     Andrew Downe     Airlie Beach
Bottlemart     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39i     Craig Watson     Brunswick Heads
Caledonia     Bavaria 44     Malcolm Mitchell     Melbourne
Carolina         Tony  Ross     Southport
Ceres     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 DS     Gerard  Batt     Mackay
Changing L'Attitude     Beneteau Oceanis 43     Tim Little     Melbourne
Charlie's Dream     Bluewater 450M     Peter Lewis     Brisbane
Chicane     Beneteau Oceanis 323 Clipper     Donald & Julia Wilks     Hong Kong
Chille     Oceanis 473 cruising rig     Stephen Clarke     Hamilton Island
Cyclone     Keal/Frers     Stephen Keal     Hobart
Delphi 37     Delphi     Jack Leivenzon     Southport
Delphia     Delphia 40.2     Tony  Ross     Southport
Double 0 Seven     Northshore 38     Chris Carlile     Airley Beach
Dreamer     Beneteau 39.3     Roger Anderson     Adelaide
Encore     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49     Jim Milledge     Melbourne
Escape     Cole 23 T/S     David Moran     Brisbane
Europa     Wauquiez Centurian 45     Michael Coleman     Sydney
Even Finer     Dufour Performance 34     Jason  Antill     Sydney
Fizzle-Gig     Catalina 387 - tall rig     Ron Norrish     Whitsundays
Foreign Bride     Hanse 470     Hedge / Lane      Sydney
Four Bells     Bavaria 49     David Bell     Sydney
French Bee     Beneteau 42s7     Robert Greasley     Brisbane
Full Frontal     Northshore 380     Mark Travis     Lake Macquarie
Grateful     Hunter 356     Paul  Laurence     Southport
Harmony Kick-Back     Harmony 42     Anthony Coleman     Sydney
Helter Skelter     Northshore 340     William Andrews     Rosslyn Bay
Holy Cow!     Beneteau Oceanis 523     John & Kim Clinton     Sydney
Ika-tere     Jeanneau 49DS     Peter  Johnstone     Mooloolaba
In The Mood     Oyster 68     Will Vicars     Sydney
Inca     Vickers 41     Noel Sneddon     Airlie Beach
Ingenue     Jeanneau Sun Odyssy 40     Rosie Colahan     Melbourne
Instant Karma     Bavaria 38     Paul Wise     Melbourne
Iseulta     Bavaria 37     Tristram Denyer     Townsville
Joie de Vie     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42i Performance  Peter Byford  Sydney
Jura         Peter Vaiciurgis     Coffs Harbour
Kashmir     Phantom 40 DS     Peter Clark     Melbourne
Lady Elizabeth 11     Beneteau Oceanis 423     Richard Whyte     Whitsundays
L'Attitude     Oceanis 393     Stephen James Lambert     Sydney
Le Quack     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey DS 45     Roger Johnston     Melbourne
Lifestyle Chef     Beneteau     Brian Pozzey     Brisbane
Lloyds Brokers - Too Impetuous     Holland 42     Rudy Weber     Brisbane
Lorena     Beneteau Oceanis 393 Cruising Rig     Ross Kelly     Newcastle
Losel     Beneteau 57     Robert Felton     Sydney
Magic     Farr 1104     Doug Ryan     Port Douglas
Magic Miles         Drew Murray     Hamilton Island
Magnolia     C & N 58     Peter Higgins     Sydney
Makaila     Beneteau Oceanis 510     Robert Sceales     Perth
Mandala     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42I     Gerard Webb     Sydney
Mare Liberum     Farr 51     John Benjamin     Melbourne
Marisa     Morgan 780     Reaburn Reynolds     Brisbane
Meltemi     S&S 34     Jim Shannon     Brisbane
Mine YOB     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49i     Craig Mathie     Brisbane
Mista Gybe     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49DS     David Redfern     Abel Point
Montego         Monty Blomfield     Brisbane
More Intrigue     Northshore 38 Cruising     Merv Stephensen     Brisbane
Muir     Beneteau 43.7     Ross Muir     Brisbane
Nessie     Sonata 8 T/S     William McMillan     Clarence River
Ngak Ngak     Beneteau 57     Hamish and Michele Petrie     Sydney
Niska Four     Fraser 42 centre cockpit     Tony  Ross     Southport
Northern Moment     Bavaria 42 Cruiser     Ray Hudson     Sydney
Oasis     Skye 51     David Keyes-Tilley     Melbourne
Ocean Safari         Robert Wood     Melbourne
Ocean Slam     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i     Anthony Twibill     Sydney
Picasso     Consepta 65     Barry Wain     Sydney
Prickly Pear     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35     Daryl Speakman     Geelong
Psycho 11     Bavaria 39     Phil Bates     Sydney
Pyrenees     Beneteau Oceanis 461 Clipper  Stuart and Lianne Manley Sydney
Redline     Jeanneau 393     Mark Burton     Melbourne
Rex     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS     Greg Maguire     Hamilton Island
Ropabull     Beneteau     Michael Roper     Sydney
Ruby Red     Beneteau Oceanis 323 cruising rig Neville  Harlick Mount Manganui
Rum to Paradise     Sonata 760 Sports     Piers  Findlay     Launceston
Saint Jacques Beneteau Oceanis 50 Ian Beer & Bruce McKechnie Hamilton Island
Sandstone     Jeanneau Sunfast 36     Mike Davies     Whitsundays
Sante     Dufour 455 Grand Large     Bruce Munroe     Lake Macquarie
Scarborough     Beneateau Oceanis 363     Michael Silcock     Hamilton Island
Silhouette     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey     Paul Duffy     Auckland NZ
Silvershot     Beneteau 50     David Perkins     Hamilton Island
Soul Provider     Van De Stadt 34     John Fowell     Mackay
Stealing Beauty     Cyclades 43     Richard Starkins     Hamilton Island
Sunshine Sailing Australia     Jeanneau Sunfast 37 John Bankart     Mooloolaba
Sunstruck     Benateau Oceanis 343     Julie McStay     Brisbane
Sweet Mango     Hunter 33     Nick Cameron     Brisbane
Tandanya     Bavaria 41     Timothy Mussared     Sydney
The Poacher     Cavalier 1050     John Foster     Mackay
The Sweet Escape     Bavaria 44 Vision     Bill Hili     Sydney
Tiger One     Benetau 43     Shane Wilkinson     Melbourne
True Love     Farr 11.6     Elizabeth Robinson     Airlie Beach
Tuan     Beneteau Oceanis 46     Brad & Maryke Barker     Gladstone
Ulu     Hans Christian 43     Andrew Laughlin     Southport
Valdolese     Beneteau 461     Greg Sier     Southport
Vallina     Beneteau 50     Steven Penny     Brisbane
Van Diemen     Muir 66     Robert Vaughan     Hobart
Van Diemen         Robert Vaughan     Hobart
Warbler     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35     Steve Chau     Hamilton Island
White Pearl     Beneteau Oceanis 323     Andrew Robertson     Sydney
Wilderness Wear  Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 Philip Endersbee Hamilton Island
Yesdear     Beneteau Oceanis 473  Michael & Marion Paull   Lake Macquarie

Cruising Non-Spinnaker - Hamilton Island Race Week
Apollo 111         Ashley Kerr     Airlie Beach
Avalon         Norm House     Airlie Beach
Bilyana     Savage Oceanic 46     Heather  Olsen     Sydney
Catalyst     Catalina 320     Bryan Hudson     Mackay
Champs Elysees     Beneteau Cyclades 43.3     Barry Sale     Gosford
Hairy Mary     Beneteau Oceanis 50     Andrew  Pembroke     Sydney
Jasomeva     Bavaria 36     Anni Browning     Shute Harbour
Manly Too     Bavaria 44     Peter McAdam     Melbourne
Mim     Catalina 350     Mike Walter     Yeppoon
Nyssa     Catalina 34 Mark 2     David Abey     Sydney
Pelikan     Ketch     Mike Blenkinsop     Melbourne
Princess Despina     Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45     Scott Carson   Woolongong
Rumba     Oceanis 42.3 cruising     Tathra Chai     Hamilton Is
Sarlou     Jutson 45     Peter Lloyd     Melbourne
Sea Diamond     Beneteau 363     John Quinn     Hobart
Southern Swell     Bavaria 38     Geoffrey Simpson     Melbourne
Star Ferry     Marchi 39     John Brand     Bundaberg
Starkers     Catalina 350     Alan Stark     Townsville
True Colours     Bavaria 44     Terry  Herbert     Melbourne
Valhalla     Dufour 385 Grand Large     Peter Cox     Sydney

Sailing Video:  Yacht sailing at Hamilton Island Race Week in Australia (onboard video).