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Hamilton Island Race week

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With one of Austrailias top race weeks only a few days away I thought it was about time to put some information up about the three kiwi yachts that have entered, starting first with a battle royale between the two Orma 60 trimarans.

 

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week News

Fastest multis shaping up for Trans-Tasman showdown at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2012

 

Team Australia, skippered by Sean Langman, will be out to prove she’s the fastest offshore racing yacht in the South Pacific during Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2012. (Image – Southport Yacht Club, Gold Coast)

6 Jun 2012

 

Just which offshore racing yacht is the fastest in the South Pacific will be decided at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August when two high performance 18.2 metre long trimarans – one from Australia and the other from New Zealand – go head-to-head.

 

It will be a match between Sean Langman’s Team Australia, out of Sydney, and Simon Hull’s Team Vodafone, from Auckland.

 

These ORMA 60 class multihulls have brought a new dimension to offshore sailing in New Zealand and Australia over the past two years. They have demonstrated speeds in excess of 30 knots in spectacular fashion, and both can lay claim to some amazing course record times: in April Team Australia set a new multihull record for the 308 nautical mile Brisbane to Gladstone race, and this week Team Vodafone sailed the fastest time ever recorded by a multihull for the 1000 nautical mile Auckland to Noumea race, lopping 20 hours off the previous record.

 

The upwind and downwind speed potential of the two boats is quite remarkable. Team Australia, when racing as Banque Populaire in France, averaged 27.79 knots for 24 hours and covered 667 nautical miles. That equates to a Sydney to Hobart race in less than a day!

 

Team Vodafone set the scene alight at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week last year, often scorching around the island courses on one hull amid a cloud of spray with the speedo steady on 31 knots. This year the scene will be even more spectacular as the two boats will be pressed to the limit while they go for superiority.

 

Langman is doing everything possible to put down the Kiwi challenge.

 

‘It is going to be a very exciting contest with Team Vodafone,’ said Langman, ‘and we’re doing everything we can to make sure we beat them. We’ve tweaked the boat quite a bit since the Gladstone race, and we are getting new foils made to help reduce drag.’

 

Langman said he was looking forward to enjoying every part of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, adding it was a regatta where there was the perfect balance between great racing in the tropics, exceptional dockside camaraderie between crews, and a party program that caters for everyone.

 

Can Simon and TVS claim the honour of having the fastest trimaran in the southern hemisphere? or will Team Australia put up a fight on home turf. If only there was a way to get the Auzzy boat over here for the coastal :think: :think:

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Did Icebreaker make it over there?

 

Noticed she was entered, didn't know if her little opportunities from the Noumea race caused a change in plans.

 

both Ice Breaker and Kia Kaha made it over there. The ice breaker has one very big problem at the moment as they cant store all of the beer on the boat as they have to much :sailor: (photo from their facebook page)

post-10945-141887206062.jpg

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Kiwis line up their big guns for South Pacific Trophy defence

 

Having won the South Pacific Trophy team event in convincing fashion at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week two years ago, the New Zealanders are returning as defenders this year with all guns blazing.

 

Four of that country’s best performing offshore racing yachts will be at Race Week, and all are vying for a place in the three-yacht team that will be out to repel the Australian challenge. The same yachts will also be targeting top honours in the Audi IRC Australian Championship, which will be decided at the series scheduled for August 17 to 25.

 

Of the 68 yachts already entered for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2012, half have nominated for the Cruising and Non-Spinnaker Cruising divisions. On current projections the final fleet should be around 200.

 

The elite line-up of Grand Prix level yachts from New Zealand comprises Jim Farmer and Chris Mead’s highly competitive 52-footer, Georgia; the TP 52 Kia Kaha (Chris Hornell); Connel McLaren’s very competitive Ker 40, Ice Breaker, and the Reichel Pugh designed 42-footer, Rikki, owned by kiwi yachting legend, Ray Haslar.

 

Experts agree that no matter which three yachts the New Zealanders select for their team to defend the South Pacific Trophy, it will be a formidable line-up.

 

The make-up of the Australian team has yet to be considered, however, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Race Director, Denis Thompson, said he expected the three Australian yachts to be selected by a committee to be formed by Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

 

The South Pacific Trophy will be awarded to the team that accumulates the most points during the week of racing. The series will comprise races that round many of the beautiful tropical islands that surround Hamilton Island, plus a distance race of approximately 60 nautical miles and a series of short windward-leeward sprints.

 

Preparations for what will be the 29th staging of this famous regatta are well in hand, especially when it comes to the entertainment and catering for the competing sailors. Some great bands will keep the waterfront party atmosphere alive each night, and apart from the many restaurants that will serve a wide range of delicious food, ‘Eat Street’ will again be established on the edge of the harbour to provide low-cost outdoor dining.

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Marshy

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There is another Kiwi boat representing BBYC and RNZYS too.

 

The young 11 Young Rebel with Paul Young and his team. They flew out today to deliver the boat from Mackay up the coast. So good luck for the regatta boys!

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Anyone seen results for IRC?

 

Not the best two days for the kiwis in class A, but heres hoping that they make a strong comeback later on in the week. TVS are currently 1-1 with Team Australia in a two horse race and can hopefully claim more line honour wins over the next several days.

 

 

 

 

You can view the overall results so far here

 

IRC class A

http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012 ... /SGrp1.htm

 

Orma 60s

http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012 ... SGrp13.htm

 

And BBYSs Young Rebel is going well in 2nd after two days

 

http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012 ... /SGrp5.htm

 

Everyone you can find here

 

http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012 ... /index.htm

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From Kia Kaha of facebook. Let day 3 begin......

 

Report from the Skipper & Tactician from Race Day 1:

Big learning curve - we had some awesome starts. Ripped the number 2 jib (being repaired over night by North Sails.) Our in-house sailmaker Craig from Willis Sails Ltd repaired some other sails on the dinner table. Happy to be able to hang with Georgia Racing on the wind but down wind they were just a bit faster in yesterday's breeze. We are hoping if the breeze is going to lighten (as predicted) we are going to be more competitive. We feel sorry for the sole 40 footer Icebreaker Yachting racing in the A Division - hang in there guys you are doing great :-)

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The kiwi boats seem to be struggling a little bit, but theres still plenty of racing. TVS trails Team Australia by one race win while the IRC boats are having a hard time moving up the leaderboard. Best of the kiwi boats is the young 11 young rebel currently sitting third in it division.

 

Race results for the first 3 days of racing are here

 

http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012 ... /index.htm

 

And here a update from Kia Kaha of their facebook page.

 

Day 3 - short race around the islands - 30 miles

Another great start at the committee boat end, we ended up coming around the mark with Yendys & Shogun (3 TP52 Class deep)

We were into a tight reach around another island mark, which suited the newer generation boats. But we managed to hook a ride on Hooligan's wake for a short time. We set an A3 and just before the island mark Georgia Racing passed Hooligan and ourselves due to a windless hole under the land. Short beat and then into a very long 15 mile down wind run. For a start it was lighter and we held around with Hooligan and took time out of Georgia. It was very tricky sailing due to the tide, as the wind picked up Hooligan put time on Georgia and Kia Kaha. As we got to the bottom mark, we crossed Georgia ahead but they managed to get a penalty on us just at the mark. After our penalty turn we had a long beat to the top of Dent Island into a strong tide. A lot of short tacking up the island. We manged to pass Georgia on the wind (that was great). Tight Gennaker run to the finish line :-) where we could here our supportes screaming and whistling -Chris Hornell

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Another update from Kia Kaha from day 4s race

 

Race day 4 - long race - 64 miles

Light wind at the start, we had an average start, caught some dirty wind. Did a 20 mile beat to windward. Wind built to about 17 knots. We got stuck with the wrong jib on (number 2). Georgia Racing beat us to the top by about 100m. We couldn't hold Georgia downwind. Then we ripped our number two gennacker and peeled to the A4. And it seemed we had a better VMG with this sail and maybe even gained on Georgia. Tight reach to Pentecost Island and then a kite run to Dent Passage. We extended on Terra Firma and finished way before dark.

A rest day today and the Sunshine State put on rain & fog for us.

We are looking forward to some close quarter racing :-) we over these long drag races....

Chris Hornell

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JK

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Lunchtime Legend has a Kiwi sailor on board. Their 2nd at Hamilton Island follows a second to Yendys at Airlie Beach. Off to Magnetic Island next.

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