Hamilton Island Race Week - 2015

The first race of Hamilton Island Race Week commenced with a spinnaker start. The windy conditions made the staggered start a little more exciting than normal.

The first boat out was Wild Oats and the field was not crowded until the smaller boats got underway.

We think John Travolta must have flown in to see the end of the race as a Qantas jet – decked out in the company’s old colour scheme - flew into Hamilton Island cutting a path through the start line.

The Racing and Cruising Multihull Divisions were some of the last to start and the wind had dropped a little. However, before long the racing catamarans had quickly passed the majority of the monohulls already on the course.

After the start we moved to Henning Island to watch the yachts sail back up the course to the finish line.

To cap of a nice day we found an official race photograph online with Lucey Blue in the foreground as the last of the yachts sailed home.

Lady Musgrave to Middle Percy Island - Sailing at speed

We arrived at Middle Percy Island at around 15:00 on the 4th of August after a quiet overnight trip from Lady Musgrave. There was very little wind for the first twelve hours, but a 10-15 knot southwest to westerly breeze kicked in as we passed Island Head Creek so we could sail!

Sam was desperate for some colour so we hoisted our flaming red spinnaker and took off down the coast at a consistent 8.5 plus knots. The wind shifted around causing us to alternated between the code zero and our spinnaker which was fun - our top speed was 9.8 knots. The sailing difference between Lucey Blue from our last trip is amazing - old sails and three bladed fixed propellers would have limited us to 7 knots in the conditions. We love our new gear!

We had expected to find West Bay empty as a strong southerly was forecast to arrive by the 5th of August and the anchorage is exposed. But the bay was packed with small racing yachts making their way up to Hamilton Island for race week.

Despite being a little tired we ducked ashore to check out the beach and A-Frame. We didn't stay long as we were all keen for a hot shower and an earlier night...

A day at the Audi Hamilton Island Races...

I know this post is out of order...we still have several posts to add here covering our visits to Middle Percy, Brampton, Shaw and Lindeman Islands (I have been a pretty slack blogger of late)...but I was so excited after witnessing some of the maxi yachts up close today (part of the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week), that I couldn't wait to pop up a few pictures.

We left our anchorage at Lindeman Island at 8:00 am this morning and sailed under spinnaker up to Hamilton Island and through Dent Passage, arriving just as the race fleet departed the Hamilton Island Marina.

We weren't sure where the races started from, so we dropped the spinnaker and followed the back of the fleet right up to the start line (and then promptly got out of the way).

Check out the water!! The current through Fitzalan Passage was about 3 kts...against us!

We ended up in Turtle Bay, on the south coast of Whitsunday Island, and were bobbing about directly off the start line, where we got the following shots...

I had to put this one up, because I got one for my birthday! A silver Pandora bracelet...not a Hanse 540e racing yacht ;-)...

As soon as the majority of the fleet had departed we motored back past Hamilton Island and anchored off Henning Island, just in time to catch the race leaders come flying back home...

It was a poopy, overcast and drizzly day, but it was so much fun watching the race fleet that we hardly noticed the poor weather. There were hardly any spectator boats out either, which surprised us, but enabled us a good clear view.

We finished off a fabulous day with a quick jaunt ashore on Henning Island, where we helped the kids construct a driftwood shelter on the beach. This project was inspired by one of Emily's Distance Education units on different types of shelters, and someone had even thoughtfully started the shelter for us too!

Anyhoo, way past time this chook was in bed.

Night!!