Stephen Ainsworth and his high performance crew of ocean racing sailors outpaced a Rolex Sydney Hobart standard fleet to win the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and the Audi Australian IRC Ocean racing title on Saturday.
The popular businessman who races yachts for the love of the challenge claimed his career best performance when the talented helmsman Gordon Maguire steered Loki to victory in the Grand Prix series at Hamilton Island on Friday.
There was only a short celebration on the dock at Hamilton Island Marina before the Loki crew were back in a huddle planning their strategy to win Australia’s richest prize in yachting an Audi A5 cabriolet awarded to the winner of the four regatta Australian championship series.
Loki faced a formidable challenge from her smaller New South Wales rival Aroona skippered by Harvey Milne when both crews faced a supreme test of light wind sailing over the Lindeman Island course.
As expected Stephen Ainsworth and the Loki crew were in a relaxed mood however they still managed to complete the series with a comfortable 15 point win over James Farmer’s New Zealand sloop Georgia while Iain Murray steered the Hamilton Island Yacht Club registered Wild Oats X into third place just one point clear of the defending champion Michael Hiatt’s Melbourne yacht Living Doll.
But the Loki crew still had to settle the tactical jousting with Aroona to decide which crew would win the luxury Audi.
Surprisingly Stephen Ainsworth took his wife Nanette sailing and took over the steering role form Gordon Maguire.
However Ainsworth proved a worthy deputy steering Loki to second place which ultimately allowed he and wife Nanette to win the championship and the luxury Audi.
“I’m speechless it’s been a roller coaster ride for someone who goes sailing with a crew of good mates for the love of the sport”. A proud Stephen Ainsworth said when Audi Australia’s Managing Director Uwe Hagen presented him with the keys to the new Audi.
By Ian Grant at Hamilton Island.