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Hooligan Won The Final Race To Take IRC Passage. Photo credit - Andrea Francolini.

Winners named at another successful Airlie Beach Race Week

The 31st running of Airlie Beach Race Week, hosted by Whitsunday Sailing Club, has come to a close late this afternoon and all winners and placegetters will be feted at the official prizegiving at the host Club this evening.

CYCA Member Marcus Blackmore’s Hooligan was too good in IRC Passage, taking the final race and regatta from regatta-long TP52 rival and fellow Member Gordon Kelelby’s Zen. Another Member, Ray Roberts, sailed his Botin 40 Team Hollywood to third place overall, sailing consistently throughout.

Blackmore commented after racing, “I have fond memories of Airlie Beach – I started here at Whitsunday Fun Race years and years ago.

“Today came down to the last race – if we finished in front, we won – if he won the final race, they won. Gordon (Ketelbey) said to me at the beginning of the week, ‘looks like we’ll have good racing this week’. He was right. They sailed so well. Upwind they are right on our hammer, all over us.

“The organisers did a good job of it and the weather was fantastic – and it doesn’t hurt to win. It’s been a great week and the courses were good.”

Member Tanya Kelly and her Spartan crew won a very competitive Cruising Division 2. The Queensland yachtswoman drove her Beneteau First 34.7 to its first win this afternoon but had sailed consistently throughout to claim the overall prize.

Spartan beat her nearest competitor, Brendon Gregg’s Quest III, by four points after the latter finished sixth in the final race.

“We are very happy to be here. We learnt a lot about current and tide this week – and staying out of them,” Kelly said. “We certainly spent a lot of time optimising new sails and how to get good height out of them.

“This is the first time we’ve done Airlie Beach Race Week; it’s been a fantastic regatta. We’ve really enjoyed the courses. There has been a good mix of passage and windward/leeward races. We had one race where our strategy didn’t pay off, but the rest were good. We kept looking for max speed downwind.”

Kelly continued, “I have a lovely team of eight sailors who have been amazing this week. We pushed hard. I feel when I am on the boat there are eight people working hard, not just me. We’re definitely looking forward to coming back and we want to say a big thank you to the race committee on doing such a great job.”

For full results and all information: abrw.com.au.

By Di Pearson, ABRW Media

 

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