It is the morning of Day 4 at Ocean Dynamics and Mount Gay Airlie Beach Race Week 2024 and the sun is out again after an extremely wet lay day – the question though is will there be any wind in Paradise today for the fourth day of racing – the Wettas and F18s certainly hope so after their racing was called off on Sunday due to the conditions.
Whitsunday Sailing Club's annual Airlie Beach Race Week 36th running of Airlie Beach Race Week is throwing every variable possible at competitors. Three days of strong gusty winds fighting tides, constant rain on Sunday and today looking like a glamour.
However, varying weather models have made it hard to determine the exact nature of today's conditions, with racing currently to get underway by 10am. The general consensus is 6 knots and up to 8 for the morning and then breezes becoming light and variable around midday as a sea breeze tries to establish itself.
By 1pm winds are expected to go around to the north-west at 4-6 knots gusting to 6-7 knots, with the sea breeze trying to take control. From there, winds at 7-9 knots, but by 4pm easing again.
This is a day that will equally test competitors and Kevin Wilson and his on water crew. I can feel a shortened course flag or two coming on. And it is a reverse of the previous three days' high winds.
Today's conditions will be painful for the heavier boats among the 150 entries representing Australia wide and Hong Kong and a sprinkling of international crew members in the fleet.
Among those who will find the going rough is Ainslie Allen and his Beneteau Oceanis 51.1, Waterline, which he says is, "A floating caravan."
Coming into the day, Waterline is leading the Non-Spinnaker division by two points after posting a seventh in Race 1, but going on to win the next two races.
"We need to get them in (wins) before the wind disappears," Strahan said after hearing the forecast for the rest of the week.
"We need to get them in before the wind disappears. We are heavy, with fridges and all the creature comforts," Allen says of his yacht that weights around 14 tonnes. "So we're not expecting to do well in light air. We'll take the wins while we can."
Allen, from Victoria, says, "It's (sailing in the Whitsundays) a bit challenging compared to home. Dealing with the tides, being lifted one minute, knocked the next, the sudden gusts. We had the tide a bit against us on Sunday."
Of scoring seventh on the windy Day 1, Allen admits, "We were just trying to get our eyes in, this is our first Airlie Beach Race Week. We're from Sandy Yacht Club in Victoria. We wanted to come up and check it all out, feel the warmth and see the islands.
"It's been really good so far. Shame it was a bit wet on Sunday. We're enjoying the sailing and all the festivities at the Club (WSC) too. We did the Long Lunch on lay day at the Club yesterday, which was nice to do."
Tonight after what is predicted to be a long day on the water, the throng will be entertained by the music of Chris Booroff after the prize giving.
Ocean Dynamics and Mount Gay Airlie Beach Race Week 2024 is held from place from 8-15 August and enjoys continued support from Tourism and Events Queensland, including as a feature on the It's Live! Queensland events calendar. The event also enjoys support from Coral Sea Marina Resort and d'Albora Port of Airlie Marina.
