A total of 16 boats and over 70 people participated in the 3rd Seawind Whitsunday Rally held recently from June 20 – 27, finishing in perfect Whitsunday weather with beautiful warm sunshine and calm seas.
The fleet started with at the Whitsunday Rent A Yacht Base at Shute Harbour with a “Meet the Fleet” party. Then on Sunday the first race circled Long Island with a Hawaiian themed party at the Sand Bar with a Karaoke competition to follow. Next was an all day race to the beautiful and secluded Burning Point at Shaw Island, followed the next day with a gentle sail to Hamilton Island for a three course dinner and Trivia.
Next was the dash from Hamilton Island to the picturesque Whitehaven Beach for the Whitsunday Private Yacht Charters lunchtime BBQ party, with Blind Man's Dinghy Race and a Sand Sculpture competition. After State of Original football parties that evening, the fleet continued onto Hook Island for snorkeling on the reef and the final day was a lay day in becalmed conditions providing the perfect opportunity to go whale watching (not to mention dolphins, turtles, bat fish and more).
Though the racing was at a casual but competitive pace, there was just as much emphasis on the onshore challenges and activities which all tallied towards the final results and prizes. With consistent racing results and participation in all onshore activities, it was the crew onboard the Seawind 1160 “Beats Workin” that took out the title of the Winners at this years rally.
With crew members flying in from as far as Dubai and Malaysia, the Rally has an international following that's expected to grow significantly in years to come with many charter Seawinds available in the area. Due to the success of this rally, Seawind have decided to make it a yearly event and have already announced dates for next year being June 19-26, 2010 and non-Seawind owners are invited to participate by chartering a Seawind from companies such as Whitsunday Rent A Yacht or Whitsunday Private Yacht charters.
A video series has been produced that shows snapshots of the racing, activities and interviews with skippers, crews and Seawind owners.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW…
Or by visit Youtube and click on the following link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cGblgIk7V4&feature=player_embedded
The rally is part of a year long series of regattas and cruising safaris around Australia (including Sydney, Jervis Bay, Moreton Bay, Mandurah WA) and the Americas (including Catalina Island – California, Mexico & the Bahamas) with approximately 100 Seawind catamarans and 500 crew members participating throughout the year.
Seawind Catamarans are Australia's largest manufacturer of catamarans with approximately 100 people employed at their two plants located in Wollongong & Nowra, on the South Coast of NSW. The 35ft Seawind 1000XL is Australia's biggest selling cruising catamaran and the 38ft Seawind 1160 has won many design awards both in Australia and the USA.
Seawind would like to thank sponsors Whitsunday Rent A Yacht, Whitsunday Private Yachts Charters, FGI, Finlease, Harken, Barracouta, Yanmar, Internetrix and Tempo Spars. For more information visit www.seawindcats.com
