Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2008

Airlie Beach Regatta was sailed over the past 7 days in perfect moderate to fresh trade winds in Australia’s Whitsunday’s off the world famous Great Barrier Reef.

Racing results were corrected time under the newly SMS (Sports Measurement System) of handicap in a fleet varying widely in size, cost and speed, providing a more level playing field. Two teams made the epic trip from Perth and the rest from the East Coast to challenge for the Impressive Bank of Queensland Melges 24 Travellers Trophy and the Sports Boats Division.

We had 4 Melges 24’s represented in the mixed fleet of 28 sports boat division where every race either saw a Melges 24 with a win or a second place across a range of passage and windward/leeward races.

Current Melges 24 Australian Champ Heath Townsend sailing Kaito was the top Melges in the regatta after a close tussle with first time 24 campaigners Mako Sunglasses after the two teams spent most of the 7 races with only ½ a point separating them. Townsend kept his cool in the last race and showed his experience in “changing gears” as the winds dropped and shifted on the last and defining leg.

The other two Melges 24s also showed tremendous improvements over the week with Western Australian Steve Battley sailing Northshore Simrad getting the better of Kaito and Mako in two of the last 3 races. Anarchy, sailed by owner John Hall was very much amongst the last race only just missing out on a second place with a tight last minute surge against Kaito and Simrad.

17.5 knots of downhill reaching, tight racing, whales and trade winds in the Whitsundays and wins, how could not you get addicted to sailing the Melges 24’s in Australia.

Kaito (Heath Townsend)took third place overall
Mako Sunglasses (Geoff Masters) fourth
Northshore Simrad (Steve battley) fifth
Anarchy (John Hall) sixteenth

More information at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au