By Ian Grant.
The Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week well known on the Australasian yacht racing scene as the friendly regatta has attracted a high standard fleet to contest the 2010 class championships over the Whitsunday Sailing Club courses in August
Southern latitude sailors representing clubs from the colder winter climate beyond the Tropic of Capricorn make up the bulk of this year’s fleet.
James Farmer’s excitingly fast Georgia will be heading the challenge from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to win the prestigious IRC class championship against a fleet which also includes former champion Ray Roberts (Evolution Racing) and sole female challenger Belinda Cooper helming the Cairns based Sydney 32 Groove.
The colourful Mooloolaba Yacht Club Commodore Bon Robertson has entered the 2009 Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Performance Handicap trophy champion Cracklin Rosie while solo around Australian sailor Ian Thomson will have a full crew on board to ‘pull the strings’ on SOS Ocean Racing.
Interest will also focus on the performance of the ‘Golden Oldie’ the Rod Sawyer helmed Whitsunday Sailing Club sloop Surefoot
Surefoot initially designed by Swedish Naval Architect Peter Norlin to contest the 1983 Champagne Mumm Admirals Cup in England under the Royal Papua Yacht Club burgee has an impressive racing log spanning almost three decades.
The past generation IOR class ocean racer has raced under various handicap formulas including winning the West Australian Blue Water offshore championship and finishing third in the 1987 Brisbane to Gladstone race behind the Bob Robertson skippersedSeller’s Witchcraft II and the Ian Kenny skippered The Gambler.
In more recent times Surefoot has become the pacesetter on Pioneer Bay winning a share of trophies including The Airlie Sails title earlier this year.