A powerful southerly and passing rain squalls delivered the full Whitsundays racing experience on day three of Hamilton Island Race Week, with Sandy Oatley's Wild Oats X claiming its first IRC victory of the regatta in Rating Division 1.
Wild Oats X crossed the finish line with a decisive six-minute margin on corrected time over Mark Spring's Highly Sprung, with Lee Hawksley's Gusto third. The result marked a breakthrough for the Oatley camp after two days of racing.
"Today was awesome. It was one of the most fun days of sailing I've ever had," said Wild Oats X navigator Alice Tarnawski. "We had a ripping start down Dent Passage, raced all the way up to the rock to the south and then sent it home under spinnaker. It was a wet, windy and wild run."
Despite Wild Oats X's victory, Highly Sprung maintained its consistency. On the opening day, the TP52 won IRC Rating Division 1 and has now taken three consecutive TPR victories to remain undefeated in that rating system. The boat also leads the IRC standings after three races, with Gusto second under both systems.
The southerly tested equipment and crew work across the 194-boat fleet, one of the strongest in the event's 41-year history, with shifting visibility and fresh trade winds keeping more than 1,200 sailors alert from the procession north from Dent Passage through to the finish.
In Rating Division 2, Bruce McCraken's IKON maintained a perfect scorecard with its third consecutive IRC victory. Seeking Alpha recorded its best result of the week in second, while Paul Arns and Geoff Bishop's Obsession held second overall despite finishing third.
Team Hollywood continued its dominance in Super 40+, claiming a third consecutive IRC victory to lead the division. Raymond Roberts' crew has yet to drop a point in the rating system. Under SFR, Peter Higgins' Black Sparrow secured its second consecutive win to strengthen its overall lead.
Wild Thing 100, skippered by Grant Wharington, claimed its second consecutive win in Hamilton Island Blue to move into the overall lead by a single point over Walter Carpenter's Caol Ila.
Several divisions saw significant position changes. In Hamilton Island Pink, Mark Beale's Bobby's Girl bounced back from a difficult opening two days to win Race 3. Hamilton Island Orange produced the day's most dramatic reshuffle, with Derek Minihane's Impulse jumping from fourth into a share of the overall lead after winning, while yesterday's victor Calendar Girl slipped to 12th and dropped to sixth overall.
The multihull divisions delivered tight racing. Terry Robinson's Miyu won Race 3 on OMR and placed second on EHC to maintain its lead in both overall standings. In Hamilton Island Multihull Black, Daniel Seldon's Quantum won to draw level with The Straycat at the top.
With the regatta at its halfway point, Thursday brings a lay day. The fleet will contest the Prix d'Elegance on Thursday morning, with awards for Best Presented Yacht and Crew and Best Fun-Themed Yacht and Crew, before racing resumes Friday.
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