A sunny sky, 13-20 knot winds and keen competitors and equally keen volunteers heralded the start of racing at Whitsunday Sailing Club's (WSC) 74 Islands Distillery Airlie Beach Race Week today, but it wasn't all roses, as gusts creeping over 25 knots caused a little chaos on the courses.
Bill Truema's Farrier F82, Franki was dismasted, Nigel Goddard's Halcyon, competing in the Trailable Yachts & Sports Boat division, lost her rudder and others suffered breakages too.
Todd McVey is competing in the Weta 4.4 trimarans, in opposition to his son, Ryan and sailed a 10 nautical mile course from Pioneer Bay across to Bluff, to Abell Point, back to Bluff and the finish. Of the record 13 entries, just eight finished, the others suffering capsizes and damage.
McVey commented, "Ryan (his son who won here in 2022 and finished runner-up in 2023) broke a sidestay and dropped his rig. It was a bit fresh to frightening when the gusts hit and a bit of a case of kite up, kite down, kite up…"
No problem though, as McVey senior is the Weta rep and had the boat repaired by the afternoon. The gun sailor of the fleet and winner here last year, George Owen (Wetasashag, Qld) also came a cropper, a backwards capsize causing his early retirement from Race 1.
Victorian, Glenn Foley (Time Bandit), was top dog in the Wetas, with David Wood's Me and You (Qld) in second and Terry Bailey's Teal Spirit (Qld) third. Todd McVey was fourth.
McVey is hardly recognisable, having lost 40 kilos since he completed here with Getting Weta last year. "I learned to eat good food while I was away and it's made a difference to the way I sail," said McVey, who is hoping to beat his son for a podium place in 2025.
John Brand's Alba Dash lived up to her name in the Multihull Passage division, rushing round the course to claim first ahead of Craig Molloy's Avalanche (Qld) and Sean Nichols' local boat, Room With A View.
"We got the boat up to 19 knots, but averaged around 9 knots . We were back in no time at all," Brand said. "We have a new headsail and away the old girl went," he said of his Pescott Whitehaven 42 design.
Brand confided, "We were mono sailors before, but we've gone to the dark . We're all reasonably experienced sailors and the breeze was a less than we expected. It was a fantastic day on the water. The Wilsons (twin brothers Kevin and Ross) and the race management crew do a good job.
"My crew are amazing; they always do a great job. We could actually see the competition today, which is unusual, we're usually at the back!"
No surprise to find Ray Roberts' Team Hollywood (NSW) win the IRC Rating opener. Roberts has claimed Division 1 honours for the past three years' courtesy of a well-honed crew and his Botin 40. The next two places went to TP52s - Annika Thomson's Ocean Crusader's J-Bird and Brian Petersen's V5 from New Zealand, fresh from winning the Groupama Race.
There are three divisions in the Trailable & Sports Boat division. Sandor Tornai (NSW) was best in Division 1 with Skeeter. Don't Panic, the Bethwaite 89 recently purchased by West Australians, Ken Stevenson and David Davenport, was second and Jesse Frisch's local boat, Kiss, took third place.
Tornai described their day, which was not straightforward, "We had a bit on, we tore the spinnaker before start, so we came back in, sticky backed it and missed start by about a minute."
"The guys spent a lot of time working on the boat and sailed it well. They've been sailing with me over 10 years. I taught some to sail as kids. We had a sensational day out. We did break a clew strop on the main about a mile from the finish. That cost us a bit, but we had enough in the bank to get there," an elated Tornai finished.
It was an all-regulars showdown in Division 2, which went the way of Malcolm Dean's Black Betty from the Lake in NSW. Barry Berndt's Situation Normal (Vic) was second, ahead of third placed Mister Magoo (Goggles, Qld).
Jack Middleton (Opus, NSW) was top in Division 3, with a good 13 minute win over Greg Hammon's Rossgo (the local talent) and Ian Bowles' Resin Up (NSW). Middleton's handicap will likely be in danger with such a big win.
Entertainment (tonight it's The Fox, a punk pop band) and food stalls on the lawn in front of the Club provide a relaxed atmosphere after racing, while the Club's restaurant with its updated menu is already eliciting positive feedback.
Racing at this 37th iteration of Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) will be conducted from 7-14 August, with a lay day on Monday for the crews racing all types and sizes of boats in the pristine waters of the tropical Whitsunday islands.
Racing continues tomorrow when the exciting VX One boats join the fleet for the first time, making it more than 130 boats on the course. Light one-design sports boats, they provide a lot of excitement for those who sail them – and for spectators.
In 2032, the Whitsundays will play host to Sailing Competition for the Olympic Games and the VX One's will provide an early indicator as to what is to come.
