Multis for Hammo

Multihulls are to become a permanent feature at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, starting with the 30th staging of the award-winning event next month.

Hamilton Island’s CEO, Olympic and world champion sailor, Glenn Bourke, said the decision to open the regatta to multihulls had come as a consequence of the completion recently of a new 40-berth marina arm in the island’s harbour, a structure that is ideal for accommodating catamarans and trimarans.

"Having multihulls as part of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week has been on our agenda for some time," Bourke said. "However, it has not been until now, with the new marina arm completed, that we’ve had the opportunity to offer the right facilities for them within Hamilton Island’s harbour.

"In recent years we have had the ORMA 60s, Team Australia and Team Vodafone, racing within the fleet, and they have really impressed everyone. Now, in what we see as another significant milestone for the regatta, we are in a position to have all eligible multihulls become part of the fleet."

Glen Bourke said that the island’s owners, the Oatley family, were very enthusiastic about multihulls participating at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. 

Equally supportive is Audi Hamilton Island Race Week’s Race Director, Denis Thompson. He has worked hard to make sure the multihulls will enjoy exciting and spectacular racing around the beautiful islands that surround Hamilton Island.

"We are looking forward to having multihulls become a permanent part of the event," said Thompson. "I’m hoping that many of the multihull owners who will be racing at Airlie Beach the week before the start of racing at Hamilton Island, will make the effort to be with us. It promises to be a wonderful experience for them."

For more information on Race Week go to: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au