By Ian Grant at Hamilton Island.
The normally busy Hamilton Island marina became a scene of high activity when the crews contesting the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week assessed the damage inflicted by the boisterous coastal wind warning.
Specialist sail makers, riggers mast and spar repairers worked extended shifts to ensure the 193 yacht fleet competing for honours in Australia’s premier race week regatta were ship shape to compete tomorrow.
Unfortunately the small Airlie Beach based sloop Grizzly which suffered a dismasting near North Molle Island on Tuesday has officially retired from the regatta while the connections of the Sydney Maxi Lahana who blew out their big spinnaker during a savage gust have reluctantly eliminated the badly damaged sail from their race inventory
A crew person who wishes to remain anonymous said Lahana was creating a fair amount noise when she was powering at pace downwind when all hell broke loose with the spinnaker exploding in tatters’. He said.
Sail makers also’ burnt the midnight oil’ during a desperate mission to repair Loki’s expensive mainsail.
Almost every crew had a story to tell about their experience scudding down waves to career best speeds while the crew of specialist heavy wind sailors on the line honours winner Wild Oats X1 recorded a peak speed of 23 knots in their super fast average of 13.33 knots.
Wild Oats X1 is again expected to retain her undefeated line honours during the windward/leeward races tomorrow while interest focuses on the crew of the speed sailing Sydney TP52 Hooligan which continues to be the overall IRC championship pacesetter.
The Marcus Blackmore skippered Hooligan is poised to complete the Grand Slam on the Australian offshore sailing circuit by winning the Audi Australian Offshore championship .
They have already won, the Brisbane to Gladstone race the Audi championship regattas in Victoria and New South Wales and are in a strong position to add the Audi Hamilton Island Race week trophy to the list next Saturday.