Airlie Beach Qld Thursday August 11 2011.
The promised forecast of a 15-20 trade wind appears to be out of the question with skippers and tacticians forced to revise their strategy for the opening race of the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week tomorrow (Friday).
Temperatures of a muggy warm 28 degrees four above the August average were controlled by a relatively unseasonal North West wind system.
Most of the sailors who had arrived from starting their day in the chilly climate of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and ports south of the tropic of Capricorn welcomed the chance to soak up the warm sun.
Several made comments of reading reports that a moderate trade wind was already ruffling the waters of the Whitsunday Sailing Club courses.
But they were forced to complete their pre regatta trials in a warmer than normal breeze from a different direction.
However the experienced regatta officials remained confident that the warm North West breeze will be replaced by a building trade wind when the fleet representing New Zealand, Japanese and Australian clubs compete for class honours over the Whitsunday Sailing Clubs testing the 31 n/ml Double Cone-Armit Island course.
As expected the unusual wind conditions failed to dampen the enthusiasm as several crews including former French Kiss Americas Cup sailor Pierre Gal tested their boat speed while others were happy to spend some time out of the sun in the hospitality tent.
The post regatta party will take on a far more serious note off Airlie Beach at 11 am tomorrow when Race Director Denis Thompson and PRO Tony Denham set the course in what promises to be a challenging wind system.
By Ian Grant.