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Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/02/28 20:52
The Audi Hamilton Island Race Week has a new International Team Challenge Trophy..
Rob Mundle, Gold Coast, Thursday, 28 February 2008
..The South Pacific Cup
Yachting has a new international team challenge trophy – the South Pacific Cup – and it will be launched at this year’s 25th Anniversary Edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which will be staged from August 23 to 30.
Initially it will see teams of three yachts from Australia and New Zealand racing for recognition as the top ocean racing nation at the regatta, however interest is already being expressed from other countries, including the USA, England and China (Hong Kong) for future years. It is likely that some of these international owners will charter local yachts instead of shipping their boats to Australia.
The competition has been designed along the lines of other well-known international team events, like the prestigious Admiral’s Cup in England and the Kenwood Cup in Hawaii. Ironically, Bob Oatley, whose family company owns Hamilton Island, led the Australian team that won the Admiral’s Cup when it was last contested in Cowes, England, in 2003.
Australian Olympic and world championship winning yachtsman, Iain Murray, who is the commodore of Hamilton Island Yacht Club, said the decision to establish the South Pacific Cup came in response to increasing international interest in Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. He said that the design of the trophy will symbolise the prestige associated with the contest.
“This is another very exciting development for Race Week,” Murray said. “This year we are going to see a return of the great Trans Tasman rivalry that Australian and New Zealand sailors have enjoyed so much in the past, and in the future there will be other foreign teams competing.
“We have the opportunity to mould the South Pacific Cup into what is the most successful regatta of its type in Australia, and while it will bring a much stronger international flavour to Race Week I must stress that we will not be losing sight of the importance to us of the everyday sailors who are the foundation of the event.”
Enthusiasm for the South Pacific Cup is already running high in New Zealand, so much so that a team selection series is mooted. Ray Haslar, one of that country’s most prominent offshore yachtsmen and a former ‘New Zealand Sailor of the Year’, is propelling the concept on that side of the Tasman Sea.
“It’s more than 20 years since New Zealand sent a national team to Australia for an international series, so what better way to get things going again than with the South Pacific Cup at Hamilton Island,” Haslar said. “We have plenty of good yachts lining up for our team and we are expecting some excellent racing when it comes to deciding the holder of the cup.”
Iain Murray said that plans for the selection of the Australian team were being formulated. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week’s Regatta Director, Denis Thompson, said it was proposed that each team would comprise three yachts drawn from an IRC rating division. Team yachts will accumulate points while racing in their division.
Major Race Week sponsor, Audi, has welcomed the establishment of the South Pacific Cup. Keen to promote healthy rivalry at the top level, Audi cites the skill and passion of the sailors racing for the trophy as being a great boost to the event, for both competitors and spectators alike.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.
CONTACTS:
Regatta Director: Denis Thompson – dthomp@ozemail.com.au
Promotions Manager: Rob Mundle – RMundle@bigpond.net.au
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Re:Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/03/01 18:37
Hamilton Island Aerial View.
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Re:Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/03/26 13:05
THE GOLDEN OLDIES AND THE GOODIES
HEAD FOR
AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK 2008
The 25th Anniversary Edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is destined to be a classic regatta in every possible sense as some of Australia’s best known old yachts, including famous maxis, will be joining the fleet.
These grand old ladies will bring an alternative and stimulating dimension to the competition as they represent the opposite end of the sailing spectrum to that seen with the modern Grand Prix racers.
Race Week is scheduled from August 23 to 30, and leading the way to the series for the classic yacht competition will be one of Australia’s best known Grand Dames of the sea, the 44-year old Fidelis, owned by Nigel Stoke, from Sydney.
Designed by Norway’s Knud Reimers, and built in New Zealand from triple-planked kauri, the 61ft Fidelis crossed the Tasman to Sydney in 1966 and claimed line honours in the Hobart race for then owner Jim Davern. Once in Hobart’s Constitution Dock Davern regaled the media and well-wishers with a wide range of wonderful stories. When one journalist asked how such a long, lean and low profile design handled rough weather offshore he quipped, “Easy. We just sound the klaxon horn as we submerge and breathe through the mast.”
Stoke has owned Fidelis for more than a decade, and in that time the ‘old girl’ has been beautifully maintained. Her condition seemingly belies the fact that she has covered an extraordinary number of miles offshore, including the 2006 Hobart Race.
Stoke is hoping that a significant number of classic yachts will compete alongside Fidelis at Race Week in what promises to be a memorable competition.
“Having our own start and special courses designed to suit these old boats means the classics will get to enjoy Race Week more than ever,” Stoke said. “I’ll certainly be encouraging as many owners as possible to be there.”
AHIRW Race Director, Denis Thompson, said he had already received expressions of interest from classic yacht owners in New Zealand, Melbourne and Sydney. He defined a classic yacht as being 30, or more, years old.
In a similar vein, a number of owners of some of Australia’s more famous maxi yachts from yesteryear have also expressed interest in being part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Many of these yachts, from the ‘Golden Era’ of maxis more than two decades ago, now operate as charter vessels in the Whitsundays. What is being loosely titled a “Retro Big Boat” division is being planned to accommodate them in the Non-Spinnaker Cruising Division this year.
Denis Thompson said that to be eligible for this special classification the maxis must have competed in at least one significant offshore regatta, or ocean race, in their lifetime.
This year sees German luxury carmaker, Audi, taking naming rights of Australia’s premier offshore regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week, for the second time. The company is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s new initiatives has led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.
Billed as the ‘Great’ Great Barrier Reef Island, the already highly acclaimed Hamilton Island resort is continuing to expand in spectacular fashion via major upgrades in accommodation and the development of new facilities. Among the new projects being undertaken is a spectacular 18-hole golf course, and the impressive Hamilton Island Yacht Club complex. The first significant development to be established under the new plan, ‘qualia’, is a luxurious waterfront destination on the north-western corner of the island.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.
All regatta information will be available shortly on the website: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au
Regatta Director: Denis Thompson – dthomp@ozemail.com.au
Promotions Manager: Rob Mundle – RMundle@bigpond.net.au
Fidelis (Nigel Stoke) sails past Dent Island, in the Whitsunday Passage, during Hamilton Island Race Week 2006. (Photo Ian Mainsbridge)
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Re:Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/04/09 20:50
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Website Is Open
Rob Mundle, Promotions Manager, Wednesday, 9 April 2008
With the website for 25th Anniversary edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week having been open just 48 hours the immediate indications are that the anticipated fleet of more than 200 yachts will be achieved well before racing starts on August 23.
With the website for 25th Anniversary edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week having been open just 48 hours the immediate indications are that the anticipated fleet of more than 200 yachts will be achieved well before racing starts on August 23.
Within two hours of the site, going on-line eight eager owners had lodged their entries, and since then the number has been climbing steadily.
“This year Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will have the added appeal of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, so I see it as very likely that last year’s record of 217 entries will be exceeded,” said the Race Director, Denis Thompson. “The actual list of entries will be updated on a regular basis on the website. From here on it’s going to be fun to watch the list grow, right up until just before racing starts.”
Hamilton Island’s owner, Bob Oatley, who will be competing with his 66ft canting keel racer, Wild Oats X, has promised that this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever.
“Our plan for this 25th Anniversary regatta is to celebrate Race Week’s significant advances over the years, and to build on the outstanding success we achieved last year,” Bob Oatley said. “We will be making some more exciting additions to the entire program in 2008, and I am sure the sailors, their families and friends will appreciate them as the week progresses. These developments are part of our underlying resolve to see Audi Hamilton Island Race Week continue to set new standards, and to retain its position as Australia’s premier keelboat regatta.”
There will be nine principal divisions this year to cover the full spectrum of competing yachts, from Grand Prix IRC Racing to Non-Spinnaker Cruising. To make for even better racing, some of the divisions with large entry lists will be split into two or more categories just prior to the event.
“We have changed the names of some of the divisions this time to better reflect the style of yachts competing,” Denis Thompson explained. “In particular we will be working very hard to protect the interests of the genuine cruising guys who have been the backbone of the Race Week fleet from the outset. These days a lot of so-called cruising yachts are orientated more towards racing, so we will be making sure they are in the appropriate division.”
Denis Thompson said that he would also develop the opportunity this year for competitors to be advised of courses and any significant changes to racing instructions via SMS messages.
An interesting change is also planned for the Prix d’Elegance. Following the obvious enjoyment that this fun event provided last year, the Race Week organisers have now decided to expand it to two categories – the Best Presented Yacht and Crew, and the Best Fun-Themed Yacht and Crew.
It will be judged as the fleet departs Hamilton Harbour for the start of racing on Monday, August 25, and the trophies will be presented to the winners during the entertainment at the Hamilton Island Race Week 25th Anniversary Party, scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, August 27.
This year sees German luxury carmaker, Audi, taking naming rights of Australia’s premier offshore regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week, for the second time.
Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, said the brand was keen to see record entries for 2008.
“Audi is breaking sales records in Australia,” Joerg Hoffman said, “and we would certainly like to see this success reflected in the entries for this important sailing regatta.”
Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s new initiatives has led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.
Billed as the ‘Great’ Great Barrier Reef Island, the already highly acclaimed Hamilton Island resort is continuing to expand in spectacular fashion via major upgrades in accommodation and the development of new facilities. Among the new projects being undertaken is the spectacular 18-hole Hamilton Island Golf Course, and the impressive Hamilton Island Yacht Club complex. The first significant development to be established under the new plan, ‘qualia’, is a world class resort situated on the secluded northern most tip of the island.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.
http://www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au/
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Re:Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/04/21 21:36
GEOFF BOETTCHER WANTS
MORE THAN 3 SECONDS OF RACING
FOR HIS NEW YACHT
Adelaide’s Geoff Boettcher is determined to see his campaign for top honour’s in the Grand Prix IRC division at this year’s 25th Anniversary Edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week last more than three seconds.
That was the extent of his racing at the regatta last year.
After the well-proven racer, Secret Men’s Business 2, was sailed all the way from Adelaide to Hamilton Island for Race Week, it was unceremoniously crushed in a collision on the start line just three seconds into the very first contest. Boettcher and his crew were not at fault, but with that their regatta was over. The yacht could not be repaired in time to re-enter the competition.
The incident wasn’t enough to deter Boettcher from what he sees as Australia’s premier keelboat regatta. This year he will be back with an exciting new 47-footer, Secret Men’s Business 3, and he has top honours in the upper echelon of the series, the Grand Prix IRC division, as his goal.
His first challenge, however, will be to get clear of the start line in the first race.
“We’ll take anything better than 3.5 seconds of racing this year,” he said with a laugh. “After that, everything will be a bonus.”
Secret Men’s Business 3 is one of two brand new yachts already entered and being specially prepared for Race Week 2008. The other is Alegria, an Archambault 40RC owned by Rod Jones, from Brisbane, the current Audi IRC Australian Ocean Racing Champion.
The series will be staged from August 23 to 30 on the magnificent tropical waters that envelop the Whitsundays islands, where Hamilton Island is the centrepiece.
Boettcher’s yacht was designed by Reichel/Pugh, from America, and has been created specifically for regatta racing. She is a development of two well-proven racers, Beau Geste, owned by Hong Kong’s Karl Kwok – which was at Race Week last year – and Bruce Taylor’s smaller Chutzpah, out of Melbourne.
The new Alegria is due to arrive in Brisbane by ship from Europe in two weeks. She is a larger version of Jones’ Audi IRC Australian Championship winning yacht from last season. His plan is to tune the yacht in Brisbane before heading for Hamilton Island, where she will get her first serious taste of racing in Australia.
Early indications are that the best Grand Prix level IRC fleet Australia has seen will be assembled at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week this year, and that means both Secret Men’s Business 3 and Alegria will be put to the complete test.
This year sees German luxury carmaker, Audi, taking naming rights of Australia’s premier offshore regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week, for the second time.
Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s recent sailing initiatives led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.
Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, said that having the new yachts in the IRC racing fleet will make for an interesting contest at the 2008 event.
“We are keen supporters of spirited competition and the IRC Grand Prix fleet looks set to offer exactly this high level of racing,” Hoffman said, “and our national championship will add an extra dimension to an already great regatta at Hamilton Island.
“From the smallest to the largest yacht, Audi is always quick to encourage a challenge. The best-possible outcome for the event, and the national championship, will be a stiff competition between fast boats and an experienced crew. This kind of showdown is also great for spectators.”
Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s new initiatives has led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.
Hamilton Island is continuing to expand in spectacular fashion via major upgrades in accommodation, and the development of new facilities. Among the new projects being undertaken is the spectacular 18-hole Hamilton Island Golf Course, and the impressive Hamilton Island Yacht Club complex. The first significant development to be established under the new plan, ‘qualia’, is a world class resort situated on the secluded northern most tip of the island.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.
All regatta information is available on the website: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au
Regatta Director: Denis Thompson – dthomp@ozemail.com.au
Promotions Manager: Rob Mundle – RMundle@bigpond.net.au
It’s another glorious day in paradise as one of the big boat divisions sets off to race around the islands at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2007. (Photo: Jack Atley)
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Re:Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - 2008/05/02 08:08
ALL-GIRL CREW IS 50TH ENTRY
AS INTEREST SURGES
Brisbane yachtswoman and corporate lawyer, Julie McStay, holds no false notions about her chances of being on the podium at this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.
“We have no chance, zilch, of winning, but we will have fun,” she said. “That’s what Race Week is all about.”
However, this week she felt like a winner when she set a milestone in the lead-up to what will be the 25th Anniversary Edition of the great event. Her entry was the 50th to be received for the series, which will be staged on the warm tropical waters of the Whitsundays from August 23 to 30.
“I’m amazed there have been so many entries lodged so soon,” said Julie, who will be skippering for the first time in what will be her third Race Week. “And there are some excellent yachts already entered.
“For me Race Week is a fantastic escape from a stressful job, and after last year’s impressive advances I sense that this year it will be the best ever.”
Julie, who races her own Sonata 8 on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, said she plans to have an all-girl crew aboard the Beneteau Oceanis 343, Sunstruck, which she has chartered for the week, and they mean business: “We’re not messing around; we are entered in the Cruising Division – spinnakers and all. We are going for it!”
Having been sailing for only five years, Julie sees this year’s Race Week as being a massive learning curve: “I’ve never organised a campaign and skippered a yacht in a series before, so this is going to be a very enlightening experience.
“Regardless, I can’t get enough of sailing since I discovered the sport just a few years ago. I’ve even organised my work so that I’m in Sydney every second weekend, just so I can sail in the Audi Winter Series out of the Cruising Yacht Club.”
In the IRC Grand Prix division, Hamilton Island’s owner, Bob Oatley, is the latest to register. He will be campaigning his 66-footer, Wild Oats X.
There are two international entries already lodged. From New Zealand comes Anatole Mafsen’s modified Cookson 50, Pussy Galore, and from further afield Englishman, Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy, has registered his Swan 56, Noonmark VI, in the IRC Premier Passage division.
This year sees German luxury carmaker, Audi, taking naming rights of Australia’s premier offshore regatta, Hamilton Island Race Week, for the second time.
Audi is now the largest supporter of sailing in Australia. One of Audi’s recent sailing initiatives led to the creation of the four-event Audi IRC Australian Championship for ocean racing yachts. The championship will be decided during the final round at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2008.
Audi’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, said the company was looking forward to another successful year at Race Week.
“It is good to hear about an all-female crew competing for the first time,” Mr Hoffman said. “Skill and experience has to start from somewhere, and we are pleased that this event is a highlight for Julie McStay and her crew.”
“We are certainly pushing for a record number of entries in 2008. In Australia, as the Audi brand continues to strengthen and raise awareness of the sport, we hope that we can encourage more crews to compete at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.”
Hamilton Island is continuing to expand in spectacular fashion via major upgrades in accommodation, and the development of new facilities. Among the new projects being undertaken is the spectacular 18-hole Hamilton Island Golf Course, and the impressive Hamilton Island Yacht Club complex. The first significant development to be established under the new plan, ‘qualia’, is a world class resort situated on the secluded northern-most tip of the island.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s most awarded regatta. It has been recognised as Queensland's ‘Best Significant Event’ at the annual Queensland Tourism Awards on three occasions, and also taken out two Australian Tourism Awards.
All regatta information is available on the website www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au
Regatta Director: Denis Thompson – dthomp@ozemail.com.au
Promotions Manager: Rob Mundle – RMundle@bigpond.net.au
With a brisk south-east tradewind at their tail, the record fleet at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2007 leaves the island in their wake as they surge across the Whitsunday Passage. (Photo: Jack Atley)
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