Here’s one more reason to make Australia part of your cruising itinerary this year. The Audi Hamilton Island Race Week regatta is not just exciting to watch, but also open to sailing superyachts.
Being held August 17 to 25, the regatta is staged off Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays, near Queensland. Between the popularity of the Whitsundays in general and the race in particular, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week promises a variety of experiences. In fact, the regatta, now in its 29th year, has a social scene as happening as the action on the water, with dinners, fashion shows, and more. It’s happily a far cry from the first race in 1984, which some media outlets nicknamed “Hamilton Island Rain Week” in the “Wetsundays,” due to rain and high winds every day.
This year, there are four classes for racing yachts and four for cruising boats, the latter including megayachts. Termed the Super Yacht class, it handicaps based on the yacht’s known performance. Handicaps are also adjusted following each race. In addition, mostly islands, rather than buoys, serve as course marks. And, there’s never more than one race per day around the courses.
For further information about the Super Yacht class at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, contact Rob Mundle, the superyacht division coordinator.
