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Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week headed for big fleet
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9:50 PM Sun 11 Jul 2010 GMT
The number of entries is still well ahead of the same time last year and says Regatta Director Denis Thompson ‘We were determined not to run out so we have 140 sets of skipper’s bags, bows sticker and flags.’ ‘There are 90 boats and rising for Airlie Beach so numbers are looking good. ‘It either means that we are going to get 120-130 boats or it means that everybody has entered early. I am not sure which it is’ smiled Thompson. ‘There are still quite a few boats to enter – we haven’t received entries from a lot of the local Airlie Beach sailors, nore a bunch of the one design boats as yet. ‘The IRC Racing division is strong with smart top guns having long ago figured back-to-back regattas certainly sharpens them up’ continued Thompson. One of the newest boats on the IRC scene is Jim Farmer's Georgia, the 2010 New Zealand IRC Champion. Georgia is an IRC modified sister ship to the Emirates Transpac 52 designed by Marcelino Botin and built by Cooksons and she will face strong competition in her division. Michael Hiatt will be bringing his Farr 55 Living Doll, the 2009 winner, up from Melbourne again. ‘We are looking forward to another great event and we should be on the pace for Hamilton Island.’ Ray Roberts won the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week title but lost the 2009 series by 40 seconds on count back to the Michael Hiatt. Roberts is expecting another tight regatta ‘We have had many tough battles with the Dolls and this will be yet another, but the Kiwis will be strong this year.’ This regatta will likely be the Swan song for the Cookson 50 under Roberts’ name as he will be have the new Evolution Racing, the STP 65 formerly known as Rosebud, the 2007 Sydney Hobart winner set for the 2010 Hobart, at Airlie Beach in 2011. Added to the mix will be Aucklander Rob Bassett’s Wired, a Bakewell White 52m which was last at Airlie Beach in 2008 and is now better handicapped. She is likely to be a strong player on both line honours and handicap. The battles in the 40-45 foot range will be huge. Whitsunday local Ian Thomson’s SOS Ocean Racing has sailed 7,000 miles in last few months and Ian knows how to get the best out of his Welbourn 40. But Daryl Hodgkinson’s Beneteau 45 Victoire, Mooloolaba Yacht Club’s Commodore Bob Robertson’s Cracklin Rosie (another Neil Diamond special) and Howard Piggott’s Beneteau First 40 Flying Cloud are all serious handicap contenders. The same applies to Gary McCarthy's Beneteau 34.7 Brilliant Pearl and Belinda Cooper's Sydney 32 Groove. ‘The Sports Boats will be huge again this year’ says Thompson. ’It’s another top class fleet with more entries to come. It is worth coming to Airlie Beach just to see these boats fly and there some interesting newbies in this year’s Sportsboat fleet.’ ‘There is quality and talent everywhere you look.’ Thompson is right. Look at this list - the two Stealth 8’s; Bob Cowan’s Stealthy and John Rae’s Guided Missile, the two Thompson 8's; Cam Rae's Laminar Capital, (the 2009 winner) and Andrew Waugh’s Zippier, Pierre Gal's Sport 8xx Kiss and Mark Burbach’s Stealth 7 Raptor. In the Melges 24's competing there is Cameron Miles Roger That, Harley Walter's Matilda, Heath Townsend’s Kaito and two of ‘new guys’, Matt Allen and Warwick Rooklyn with Bandit. Elliott 7's are Mike Green’s Evergreen and Andrew Holden’s Omen and there are lots more good boats right across the field. As always, this will be another hotly contested, feature event for Australian Sports Boats sailors. On a side note we expect to see many of these sports boats racing in the One Lap Dash at the Heaven Can Wait Charity regatta on the October Long Week on Lake Macquarie. The new Super 30 division is looking the goods and entries already include Kim Williams and Heath Water's two Melges 32's, there are so far three Farr/Mumm 30s, Leon Thomas’ Guilty Pleasures II, Jeanine and John Drummond’s Loco and Jeff Paul’s RBS Morgans Immigrant. We will report on the IRC Cruising Division, the Cruisers with and without Spinnakers, the Inshore Sports boats and the Multihulls in our next update. Airlie Beach Race Week has a close relationship with its naming right sponsor Meridien Marinas. CEO Russell McCart is also be the Commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. Russell McCart commented. ‘From a business side we have a major commitment to Airlie Beach, beyond Meridien Marinas Abel Point Marina, where Race Week is held. 'From the sailing side, Airlie Beach Race Week just keeps getting stronger. ‘This is a great regatta, top class sailing and great fun. We are all looking forward to having a great 21st birthday party.' Make sure you get your entry in as soon as possible – http://www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au
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