Less than three months out from Jeanneau and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week, internationals, interstaters and locals, with a couple of rookies thrown in, are among the entries received so far for the 38th running of the regatta, to be held from 6-13 August.
Whitsunday Sailing Club’s annual event has attracted two Kiwi entries to the Rating Passage Series. Sharon Ferris-Choat, a Canadian/Kiwi Olympian is bringing Vixen Racing, her modified Class 40 yacht to the start line for the very first time.
Decked out in bright pink prior to Ferris-Choat bought her, she says, “We haven’t done Airlie Beach Race Week before. One year I raced on Gitana and won Gun Boat at Hamilton Island and I raced it at Magnetic Island too. I’m excited to do Airlie Beach. It’s been on the bucket list for a while.”
Ferris-Choat, who represents the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, is using Vixen Racing for a Coastal and Offshore Academy. “I’m creating a pathway where people can learn and gain confidence in a safe environment. The idea is to encourage them to race and eventually buy their own boats,” she says.
Right now she is back home gearing up for the Solo Tasman Race: “We’re going to race across the ditch and then we’ll be based in Australia and do the major races out of Sydney until January,” she says of their itinerary that includes the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast and Gold Coast Mackay races, Airlie Beach and the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
“We have crew positions available for all our trips at the moment and we’re inclusive.” Interested parties can find more details at: www.vixenracing.com.au
A second Kiwi entry in the Rating Passage series is Brian Petersen, who returns for a second year running with his TP52, V5. Like Ferris-Choat, Petersen contested last year’s Sydney Hobart, but neither one finished. And both have and are getting good mileage out of their yachts while in Australia.
Petersen, representing both Royal New Zealand and Royal Akarana yacht clubs, spent all of 2025 competing in races and regattas around the country and is doing the same again this year.
On the other side of the coin are Goggles and his Mister Magoo crew, who turn up every year for the Trailable Yachts and Sports Boats series, with bells on. The Thompson 7 and its crew stand out both on the water and ashore.
The crew are well-oiled machinery on the water and are easy to spot back at WSC every night after racing in their fun Mister Magoo shirts.
“For us it’s a nice week away. We’ve done it since 2004. We’ve only missed two since then, one because of COVID lockdown. Mostly it’s been with the same guys – and the same four guys since 2015 and we’re all over 50,” Goggles explains.
“One of my crew is Dave Ward and we’ve been sailing together since we were teenagers. We’ve done 17 Race Weeks on Magoo – I’ve had it for 19 years now.
“We had a fun old time last year, so I expect the same this year,” he says after their third place in CBH and second in PHS. “It was full on, because it was rough and windy – but the old Magoo handles it.
“I love the big, long courses up there. And there’s lots of good scenery and competition. People come from Victoria and NSW, people you don’t normally get to race against. I like beating any of the Sydney guys. I like beating Malcolm Dean and Black Betty too – they beat us on countback last year,” he says, laughing.
On the shoreside entertainment at WSC, Goggles, Vice Commodore at Wynnum Manly Yacht Club says, “We make a point of coming to the Club (WSC) each night for the presentation and to enjoy the bands. When the Club goes to the trouble to put a good event on for us, I understand how important it is to support their efforts.”
In the first time stakes is Phil Bennett, owner of King Billy, a lovely 11.5m wooden yacht designed by Australian, John King and built in 1992 from King Billy Pine. Bennett has raced her in seven Sydney Hobarts, the last in 2022.
“This is my first (ABRW) and I’m looking forward to it,” Bennett says. “I’m getting pretty old, so I’ve got most my main crew together to come up north and do a couple of regattas. I’ve had friends do Airlie and they say it’s really fun and it’s casual. It sounds good to me – my style.
Bennett booked their accommodation early: “We’re staying at the Boat House, in comfort, I’m told! Someone else will bring the boat up and I plan to be there four days before to get it ready to race. I’ll also do the delivery home,” he ended.
No matter what type of boat you sail, there is a class and division for all at Jeanneau and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week.
