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NEWS
Hamilton Island Race Week gears up
By sail, ship and land they’re heading to Hamilton Island Race Week for a big yearAt least one yacht is coming from Europe by ship, many by road trailer from across Australia, the rest under sail, and they’re all headed for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2016.
Organisers are saying that entries for this year's event are being lodged at a rate faster than at any other time in the event’s 33-year history. On current projections the 60th entry should be posted in the next few days; a milestone that would indicate the final fleet is likely to exceed 200 for the series, which will be staged from August 20 to 27 this year.
Already the cross-section of entries is most impressive. They range from maxi yachts, sleek and luxurious new cruiser-racers, casual cruisers, trailables, sport boats, and multihulls. Some have entered just for the fun factor while others are out to win their division; then there’s the upper echelon of Grand Prix, PHS and multis competing to win their class in the Australian Yachting Championships.
One early entry certain to attract attention is Sydney yachtsman Ervin Vidor’s uniquely elegant, 23 metre CNB 76 cruiser-racer, Charlotte, which was launched in France last year. After cruising for 6000 nautical miles along France’s Atlantic coast then in the Mediterranean, he shipped the yacht to Sydney with the express intention of being at this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.
"I’ve competed at Hamilton Island Race Week only once, but I always knew I’d be back when my business commitments would allow it," Vidor said. "Now, having this new yacht, and the time available to be there, I can’t wait to be part of this year’s regatta."
It’s Vidor’s intention to use Race Week as a stepping stone towards competing in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart race. He has already optimised the supremely comfortable yacht for racing with a wardrobe of new sails and the addition of a bowsprit.
There will be many other sailboats at Race Week 2016 at the opposite end of the scale to Charlotte, including the famous little eight-metre long trailable, Nessie, which will be competing for the 16th time – a record. Owner William McMillan, who lives in Grafton, in northern NSW, usually races the little yacht on the mighty Clarence River. But for 15 of the last 17 Race Weeks he has towed Nessie 3000 kilometres to the Whitsundays and back just to be part of the event.
The Notice of Race and entry form for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2016 are now posted on the Race Week website, here. The regatta – Australia’s largest offshore sailing series – caters for a remarkably wide range of sailboats: from sportboats and trailables through to Grand Prix level keelboats, maxi yachts, cruising yachts of all sizes and configuration, as well as multihulls.
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Written byBoatsales Staff
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