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Lure of Airlie Beach Race Week in winter

On-Water
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach Race Week
Multihull Racing
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Whitsunday Sailing Club
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Published on
June 2, 2022
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The lure of sailing on the warm waters of the Whitsunday islands in August, not to mention the competition from Australia-wide, has owners and crews once again feeling the pull of Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) and all it offers away from cold winters in their respective interstate homes.

To-date, Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) is the recipient of 140 entries across the myriad classes for the 34th running of its annual event, to take place from 11-18 August, 2022.

A long way to come for some fun in the sun? Not so, according to competitors voyaging from as far afield as Western Australia and Tasmania. It is worth every mile, according to event disciples.

Peter Chappell from Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth. is one such yachtie and 2022 marks his induction into to Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing.

“Yes, this is my first Airlie Beach Race Week and we’re looking forward to a good mix of sailing, the good sailing community, different types of boats and sun. There’ll be seven or eight of us there,” Chappell says.

His weapon is ‘The Cadillac’, a Barrett 9.5 design. Chappell describes the boat he had built in 2013 as, “A big dinghy built for ex dinghy and Etchells sailors and it’s got the excitement factor downwind. I decided to put the fun back into sailing and it keeps the crew active and fit too.

“I’m putting the boat on the back of a truck around the 1st of August. And we’ll fly over.”

Anthony ‘Captain’ Kirke is arriving with his latest Enterprise, aptly named ‘Enterprise Next Generation’. She is a Botin & Carkeek GP42 from the Fast 40 circuit in the UK and was modified for offshore racing on arriving in Australia.

Kirke has contested major offshore events and regattas in and out of Western Australia. He is from Fremantle Sailing Club, over 3000 nautical miles from Airlie Beach, to race against the heavies in the IRC/ORC Division.

Ray Roberts’ Botin 40 Team Hollywood, Rob Date’s new Carkeek 43, Scarlet Runner and fellow West Aussie, The Cadillac are among Kirke’s rivals.

As far south as you can get from Western Australia, Richard Fader’s One O Nine will sail over 1700 nautical miles from her base at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart. Fader’s beamy and comfortable Hanse 540e will leave Hobart in July to sail in Performance Cruising Division 1.

“Why do we come so far each year? Because we enjoy getting out of the cold,” Fader says with a laugh.

“Airlie is a good little town and we catch up with mates from up there who come and sail with us. About a dozen of us have travelled up north from Tasmania for the past 10 years. We do it to have an enjoyable time away with a dozen mates who don’t always see each other at home, so it’s a great time to catch up with everyone.

“It’s great fun, a good event and an enjoyable time. We probably do more sailing in the two weeks up north than at any other time,” Fader enthuses.

The owners of the three yachts will mingle with those from their hometowns along with competitors from South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Queensland at Airlie Beach Race Week.

Entry in this much anticipated annual event is open to IRC, ORCi, AMS, Performance Racing, Cruising, Non-Spinnaker Cruising, Sports Boat, One Design, Trailable Yachts, Multihull Racing, Multihull Passage and Off the Beach boats including the WETA 4.4 trimaran, F16 and F18 catamarans and others.

Airlie Beach Race Week 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.

There is still time to enter Airlie Beach Race Week, so go online now to: www.abrw.com.au or www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au

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August 9, 2020

Stakes raised as Airlie Beach Race Week approaches halfway mark

Day 3 at Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) 2020 Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing, and with racing to kick-off from 1030am this morning, competitors were looking forward to another day of decent sailing conditions, not dissimilar to yesterday.
On-Water
August 9, 2020

Another day for the light air specialists

Sunshine finally poked through the clouds, and competitors aboard the 64 competing boats at the 2020 Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing did not find the anticipated 15 knots, instead the breeze peaked at 8 knots.
On-Water
August 8, 2020

Airlie Beach Race Week – Light on for breeze again today

Sixty four boats are taking part in the 2020 Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing and faced the unusual situation of little to no breeze on a foggy and rainy day in the beautiful Whitsundays yesterday, but there were happy campers in the end, when some found 6-7 knots of breeze late in the shortened race.
On-Water
August 8, 2020

Winds arrive and ORMA 60 makes it two from two

Festival of Sailing today, the winds Gods changed tack and gave the 64 boats and crews a run for their money in the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) annual event.
On-Water
August 5, 2020

COVID 19 Crew Declaration

It is a requirement that ALL crew members complete the attached declaration and lodge with the Organising Authority.
On-Water
July 31, 2020

ABRW - Covid-19 Update

In light of the recent Government announcements regarding health concerns over Covid-19, the Airlie Beach Race Week Organising Committee wish to clarify the plans for the 32nd Airlie Beach Race Week.
On-Water
July 29, 2020

Safety and Sea Survival Course 14th August

Whitsunday Sailing Club, in conjunction with Mainstay Sailing, will conduct an Australian Sailing “Safety and Sea Survival” course on Friday 14th August, the day after the completion of Airlie Beach Race Week.
On-Water
July 29, 2020

Airlie Beach Race Week ready to roll - on and off the water

Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) officials are pleased to announce that a healthy fleet of 70 boats will take part in the 32nd running of Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing, where a week-long sailing program and a fabulous social calendar awaits all.
On-Water
June 30, 2020

Airlie Beach Race Week prepares as Queensland border opening announced

With the announcement that the Queensland border will open on 10 July to all but Victoria, Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) is working hard to make sure that Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing, to be held from 6-13 August, is a memorable event for all concerned.
On-Water
June 2, 2020

Airlie Beach Race Week 2020: Full steam ahead

As Coronavirus restrictions continue to ease around Australia, Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) is pleased to announce it is full steam ahead for Airlie Beach Race Week Whitsundays Festival of Sailing.
On-Water
April 6, 2020

Airlie Beach Race Week - The Rounding Mark on a Distant Horizon

Sometimes it’s really hard to see the rounding mark on the horizon even when everyone aboard knows that it’s there. We just have to rely on the compass and keep all eyes focused ahead. Like searching for “cats’ paws”, wisps of wind on a glassed-out sea, patience and determination will get us across the line.
On-Water
March 4, 2020

Entry open for Airlie Beach Race Week 2020

Entry for the Whitsunday Airlie Beach Festival of Sailing opened on 1 March, 2020 and can be found online, along with Notice of Race, easily found on the Home page of the official Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) race website.
On-Water
August 15, 2019

Grand finale at Airlie Beach Race Week

The 2019 Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) grand finale is shaping up to be a beauty with east/south-east 15 to 20 knot winds expect and Ross Chisholm, the Race Director Whitsunday Sailing Club (WSC) advising all courses would be on Pioneer Bay for the final day.
On-Water
August 15, 2019

Ullman Sails and Evil Gnome win Australian Multihull title at Airlie Beach Race Week

Paul Mitchell skippered Ullman Sails to one final win at the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) 2019 Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) to claim the Australian Multihull Championship title; finishing 11 points clear of nearest rival, Julian Griffiths The Boat Works.
On-Water
August 15, 2019

Winners named at another successful Airlie Beach Race Week

The 31strunning of Airlie Beach Race Week has come to a close late this afternoon and all winners and placegetters will be feted at the official prize giving at Whitsunday Sailing Club this evening.
On-Water
August 14, 2019

Competition heats up with one day remaining at Airlie Beach Race Week

The 31st Airlie Beach Race Week, hosted by Whitsunday Sailing Club, is in its closing stages with just one day of racing remaining, so all 114 competing boats were out on the various courses today doing their best to cement a podium place in advance of the final day.
On-Water
August 14, 2019

Ullman Sails all the way at Airlie Beach Race Week

Paul Mitchell and Ullman Sails are well on the way to winning the Australian Multihull Championship at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) and to defending the title they won last year, and the year before, such is Mitchell and his crew’s dedication to performing at the top of their game.
On-Water
August 13, 2019

Power and the passion at Airlie Beach Race Week

It’s all to play for in the Australian Multihull Championship at Whitsunday Sailing Club’s 2019 Airlie Beach Race Week – particularly for the local rock star – and that became very evident on Day 4, as the wind freshened and the multis showed their power and the crews their passion for racing them.
On-Water
August 13, 2019

Airlie Beach Race Week: Another spectacular day expected

Day 5 and weather forecasters have promised similar conditions to those of yesterday at Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW), hosted by Whitsunday Sailing Club (WS, meaning 12-23 knots under sunny skies again.
On-Water
August 13, 2019

The diamonds and the dusty at Airlie Beach Race Week

Day 4 at 2019 Airlie Beach Race Week and the 31st running of Whitsunday Sailing Club’s largest sailing event, which reels in the big tourism dollars to the region, hit a new high note today, with winds reaching in excess of 20 knots and gusting 24 at times.
On-Water
August 11, 2019

Glamour and glitz at Airlie Beach Race Week

Cruising boats such as Eve, Vanilla 2 and White Swan are providing the glamour at Airlie Beach Race Week, the multihulls and today’s weather are the glitz factor, and in fact the entire 114 entries put on a stunning show in the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) event today.
On-Water
August 10, 2019

Airlie Beach Race Week Day 2 - another hot day on the track

While south of the border the weather is anything but warm and sunny, competitors at Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sails 2019 are being spoilt rotten with warm sunny waters and a light breeze – and more of the same is on the cards for Day 2.
On-Water
August 10, 2019

Airlie Beach Race Week: Fun for all on Pioneer Bay

Pioneer Bay provided the perfect opportunity for sailors, photographers and spectators on Day 2 of 2019 Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW), with Whitsunday Sailing Club officials decreeing all classes sail on the Bay, resulting in a mass of colour around the course.