Australia’s aquatic playground is gearing up for its annual ‘Sailing Season’, where sails and spinnakers dominate the horizon by day, and champagne corks and good times dominate by night. The Whitsundays Season of Sailing kicks off with Vision Surveys Airlie Beach Race Week (8-15 August 2014) and the Great Whitsunday Fun Race (16 August), followed by the region’s premier event, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week (19 -27 August 2014), showcasing some of Australia’s finest racing yachts. The season continues with the famous Shag Islet Rendezvous (28-31 August). Thousands of competitors and spectators flock to the Whitsundays each year to celebrate the events and Australia’s premier sailing grounds.
Airlie Beach Race Week is renowned as Australia’s ‘Tropical Shirt Regatta’ for its laid-back atmosphere, tropical climate and relaxed social events throughout the week. So get your sea legs on and join this year’s 25th Vision Surveys Airlie Beach Race Week fun! And don’t stress if you can’t bring your own boat – there are many options to be a part of it all – here are our Top 3:
- Jump on a crewed maxi-yacht
Join a professional crew and jump on board the Prosail maxi yachts Condor and Hammer for a race in the Cruising Spinnaker Division. You can be an experienced sailor or someone who has never been sailing before – of course it’s all about the fun factor! - Kick back and sign up for a spectator charter
Follow all the Race Week action from your own yacht and immerse yourself in the event’s entertainment. Whitsunday Rent A Yacht and Sunsail offer cruising charters for spectating. - Join in the off-water entertainment
Take a dip in the Airlie Beach Lagoon, indulge in a leisurely lunch and follow the Race Week action from dry land as the fleet is criss-crossing Pioneer Bay in front of Airlie Beach. Sailing Season also coincides with whale season, so the spectating could really get exciting!
For more information on sailing holidays in the Whitsundays, visit www.queensland.com/sailing
ABOUT AIRLIE BEACH RACE WEEK
The Whitsunday Sailing Club is the proud host of Airlie Beach Race Week, a yachting extravaganza in the spectacular sailing paradise of the Whitsundays. Airlie Beach Race Week is a colourful sailing regatta which attracts competitors, supporters and spectators from around Australia and overseas to the sailing Mecca of the Whitsundays. The event has grown in the past 24 years to become the largest keelboat sailing regatta held on the Queensland mainland coast. With over 100 yachts competing in daily races, the event creates a spectacular sight on Pioneer Bay and assists in creating a passion for the sport of sailing for many young Australians. www.abrw.com.au
About the WhitsunDays
The 74 islands of the Whitsundays lay in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, cradled by the tropical waters of the Coral Sea, a truly remarkable icon of beauty. The Whitsundays is an invitation into a world of tropical wonder. The vibrant colours of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforest provide plenty of scope for activity and adventure. Easily accessible by air or road, the Whitsundays are located on the central eastern coast of Queensland in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The area is characterised by world class resort facilities blending harmoniously with the pristine natural attributes of the area. Sail, Explore, Dive, Dine, Play, Relax, Enjoy. The opportunities are endless… which is why there is no better place to take a well-deserved holiday than the Whitsundays. www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au
