Audi Hamilton Island Race Week fleet- climbing towards a record

With the second largest fleet on record now registered for next month’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, many competitors are already planning to win a special trophy that will be decided on the water, but won’t involve racing.

Instead, it’s a highly popular and keenly contested part of Race Week where ingenuity and creative genius come to the fore and set the participants on a course towards collecting impressive trophies at the big presentation party on the regatta’s final night.

The competition is the Prix d’Elegance, and the trophies are awarded to the winners in two categories:

BEST-PRESENTED YACHT: The yacht perfectly presented, and the crew in matching uniforms lining the deck etc.

BEST-THEMED YACHT: There’s been political satire, tropical island settings, bubble baths, and even Michael Jackson, as themes for this section.

 

This year the Prix d’Elegance has been moved forward one day on the regatta schedule. It will be staged on Thursday, August 25 between 9am and 10am on the waters of Dent Passage, immediately adjacent to Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

With the number of entries for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2016 increasing at an unprecedented rate, regatta organisers are speculating on whether or not this year’s fleet will top the record of 227 which coincided with Race Week’s 25th anniversary in 2008. Currently there are 209 yachts nominated for this year’s series which will be staged August 20 to 27. This figure is 35 per cent up on the same time last year. That fleet totalled 203 when entries closed.

The 200th entry to be lodged this year came from well-known Etchells and keelboat sailor, Steve O’Rourke, from Botany Bay in Sydney. He will be towing his Melges 32, Panther, 2000 kilometres north to compete in what will be his fifth Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.

“There’s no other regatta where you can have so much fun racing around islands in tropical tradewinds and so easily be part of the onshore party scene,” O’Rourke said.  

Hamilton Island’s CEO, Olympic and world champion yachtsman Glenn Bourke, is optimistic that this year’s fleet will be the largest in Race Week’s 33-year history.

“All the signs are there,” Bourke said. “Equally impressive is the cross section of yachts making up the fleet. We have the Grand Prix racers contesting the Australian Yachting Championships, an amazing array of cruising yachts, and just about every conceivable type of multihull. It’s already a remarkable fleet.”   

The Notice of Race and entry form for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2016are now posted on the website, www.audihamiltonislandraceweek.com.au 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 and supermaxi yachts, cruising yachts of all sizes and configuration, and multihulls.
 
Audi Australia returns as the naming right sponsor of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week for an incredible eleventh year. Throughout the past decade of partnership, Audi and Hamilton Island have worked hand-in-hand to create the most impressive sailing regatta in Australia, with even more activities on offer for sailors and onshore guests alike. This shared vision is based on a joint passion for winning performance, technological innovation and spirited competition.

 
For additional information please contact:

Lisa Ratcliff                                                                     
AHIRW & Australian Yachting Championship media manager           
e. lisa@occ.net.au m. + 61 (0) 418 428 511

Rob Mundle
Promotions Manager, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2016
e. rob.mundle@bigpond.com Phone: + 61 (0)417 323 573 or + 61 (0)7 5527 1126