Two days of racing remain at Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Airlie Beach Race Week, which continues today with a mix of windward/leewards and passage racing, all starting on Pioneer Bay in the stunning Whitsunday Islands – or Paradise, as it is known to those who live there and visitors to the region.
Ross Chisholm, the Event Chairman commented, “Today we’re setting up a separate area on Pioneer Bay for the WETA trimarans. We’ve planned two windward/leeward races for them and we’ll get them off at 10am.
“Multihull Racing Divisions 1 and 2 will be on windward/leeward courses again and the rest of the fleet will do a course anti-clockwise around the Molles. The course is approximately 20-26 nautical miles,” he said.
“The sun is shining and the wind is blowing. It’s looking like similar conditions to yesterday, when everyone had a fantastic day on the water. We’ve had a lot of compliments.”
Andy Duffield with Wee Tri continues to lead the WETA’s with a four-point advantage over David Vockler’s Hard Decision. Alasdair Urquhart’s Mischief is a further five points in arears, so it is all to play for in the final two days.
Multihull Racing Division 1 boats did three windward/leeward races yesterday and will repeat the experience today. Local sailor, Paul Mitchell, continues to lead with the Extreme 40, Angus after scoring 1-3-1 results.
The Joel Berg skippered Parabellum has lifted into second place after finishing 2-1-3, while Jamie Jochheim’s Back in Black is in third place with 3-2-2 results.
A pair of wins in Multihull Racing Division 2’s two windward/leeward races yesterday mean Mark Leitner’s Leitning Storm remains in the lead. However, last year’s third placegetter, Terry Archer’s G’Nome is sneaking up on the leader after a pair of second places puts him firmly in the picture, just three points away.
Drew Caruther’s Sydney multi, Rushour is third placed, only a further point adrift away. The division will do another two windward/leeward courses on Pioneer Bay today.
Marc Girard’s Storm Bay still leads the Multihull Passage Division after finishing third yesterday. His lead remains intact because the last two days’ winners have come from further down the scoreboard. Yesterday’s winner was Jeffery Dodd’s Zero, with Kevin Lord’s Vivacious coming home second to hold second place overall, five points off the overall lead.
Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and is a feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
For full results and all information on Airlie Beach Race Week, please visit: www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au
By Di Pearson/ABRW media
