Perfect day for Airlie Beach opening race

'Sunrise - day one at the Meridien Marinas Abel Point, Airlie Beach' Richard Barrett Click Here to view large photo

It's the morning of day one of the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and 'the weather looks like it has been sponsored by Queensland Tourism'.

That was the enthusiastic comment from one of some 800 sailors from all States of Australia and New Zealand as he helped set up his boat for the traditional opening race of the weeklong regatta, the Double Cone - Armit Island Race.

Meridien Marinas Abel Point has been a hive of activity since sunrise as crews prepare for a day of highly competitive racing in a south-easterly trade wind out on Pioneer Bay, to the north of the resort town of Airlie Beach.

Sydney yachtsman Adam Brown has competed in all of the past 18 Airlie Beach Race Weeks; this year he is sailing on the New Zealand Cookson 50 Pussy Galore.

'It's a wonderful regatta, a little more relaxing than others, but the competition promises to be full on among the big boats,' added Adam, a veteran of many Sydney Hobarts who has been ocean racing since he was a teenager.

One of Queensland's bestknown yachtsmen, Bob 'Sir Robbo' Robertson, had entered his Farr 40 Cracklin Rosie in the IRC Division, but is a bit short of crew.

'Instead, my old mate Jack Wells, up from the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club at Beauty Point in Tasmania, and I are sailing with Graham Jones on his Beneteau First 45 Bluewater from the Port Doubles Yacht Club.

'Jonesy was a legend with his little Half Tonners in the Sydney Mooloolaba races, but this will be more sedate sailing aboard the Beneteau,' Robertson added.

Still working on the rigging of their aptly named Reignition two hours before the start were owner/skipper Charles Wallis and his crew. The boat is an older MBD42 which the Whitsunday Sailing Club members brought up from Brisbane only three weeks ago.

'We haven't raced her yet, but she's a good solid boat and certainly should handle a breeze,' said wellknown WSC member Seddon Cripps.

Former Admiral's Cup yachtsman and Sydney Hobart skipper Bruce Tardrew is contesting the strong Sports Boat division fleet in his brand new Stealth 8 No Limits. 'The objective is - go fast!'

'Shes a brand new boat, only been in the water three weeks. Shes an Alan Carraidine, Stealth type boat, she should go well. We haven't had her in 10 knots until yesterday. We had a ball yesterday and our expectation of today is to go fast and we will see what the opposition has got. We have several really fast boats, it's a good fleet,' Tardrew added.

Meteorologist Ken Batt in his North Sails-sponsored weather forecast has predicted 10-15 knot sou'easterlies, gusting at times to 15-20 knots.

The fleet will start just north of Abel Point, with a short 1 to 2 nautical mile work to windward before a long run northwards to round Double Cone Island, one of the spectacular islands in the Whitsunday Group, then reaching across to Armit Island before a demanding work back to the finish line off Airlie Beach.

'In this breeze, it should be a one to two gybe run up to Double Cone Island, a good beat back to the finish, and it should be fast race,' Race Director Denis Thompson said this morning.

'They will be racing hard right from the start, with keen division starts and some tight tacking to the first windward mark to be the first to hoist their kites for the long run to Double Cone Island.

Principal Race Officer Tony Denham expects to send all divisions on the 19 nautical courses around Double Cone and Armit Islands with the exception of the 3 one-design division boats which will race over the Pioneer Bay triangle.

by Peter Campbell