Hamilton Island Race Week 2018 attracts the celebrity sailors

Celebrity 'money man' and successful sailor Paul Clitheroe has lodged his two-time Sydney-Hobart race winning TP52, Balance, as the 50th yacht-race entry in the 35th Hamilton Island Race Week from August 18 to 25 in the Whitsundays.

This will be Clitheroe's 10th Race Week, but he has declared that he and his crew will adopt a far more casual approach this year as well.

"I have always thought the TP52 would be a fun boat for Race Week, and we intend to prove that this year," he said. "While many other owners will be more fanatical about their racing and results, we plan to race well and party hard."

A big fan of Race Week, Clitheroe said the unique atmosphere and race track were big attractions.

"There's something very special about racing around the islands in the Whitsundays then heading back into the harbour and going ashore to enjoy beers with everyone while listening to great live music. It's a fantastic atmosphere," he enthused.

While the lodgement of the 50th entry marks an impressive milestone for Hamilton Island Race Week 2018 (HIRW2018), the 49th and smallest race entry hails from the other end of the yachting spectrum.

It is the 7.3m-long Seascape 24 production yacht, Alfina, a European design based on the Seascape 18, which already boasts a fleet in excess of 300 worldwide.

Despite its modest, trailerable size, the award-winning and speedy Seascape 24 sleeps four crew members and offers a lot of sailing joy.

Owner Warwick Harman, from the Gold Coast, is eager to get Alfina to Race Week for her Australian racing debut.

"Having enjoyed three Race Weeks in recent years, I know this design will be right at home on the wonderful courses they set around the islands," Harman said. "It's going to be an exciting boat to sail on those waters."

Multihulls have also made a strong impression on the entry list. Twenty per cent of all entries to date are either catamarans or trimarans. But without what appears to be Audi's sponsorship and backing, the high-profile sailing soiree in the Whitsundays already has a more cruisy feel about it. More on HIRW2028.