Trans-Tasman Showdown Closes Day Three at Hamilton Island Race Week
The Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49er Exhibition Series stole the show late in the day, giving crowds a taste of Brisbane 2032-level high performance. In the men’s 49er, New Zealanders Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush took top honours, while Australia’s Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot sent the home crowd into raptures with victory in the women’s 49erFX.
“Palm Beach Motor Yachts is proud to back Olympic class sailing between Australia and New Zealand. We’ll be supporting this brilliant showcase again next year,” said CEO Mark Richards, watching the spray fly off the skiffs.
Trade Winds Return, Racing Lights Up
Earlier in the day, the return of steady trades set the stage for classic island-course duels.
In Rating 1, Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing 100 stormed home first across the line in the Nautical Classic long race, but Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan claimed the win on corrected time.
In Rating Division 2, David Hamilton’s Seeking Alpha edged victory by just seven seconds – proof of how close the racing has been this week.
The Multihull Racing division featured the debut of the 20-tonne carbon-fibre Gunboat 68 Slingshot (ex-Highland Fling 17), with skipper Dara Johnson, first-mate Maddy McLeay, and a star-studded crew including Adrienne Cahalan. They picked up handicap honours while clocking 19 knots through Whitsunday Passage – “with the coffee machine still running,” joked Johnson.
Southport duo Terry and Amy Robinson also celebrated a milestone, taking line honours aboard Miyu, their brand-new Cure 55. “It’s our first Race Week, and we love it,” Terry said dockside. “The vibe here is incredible.”
Meanwhile, Tasmania’s Ben Davidson and crew brought Sea Fever all the way from the Derwent Sailing Squadron to snatch Hamilton Island Light Blue race 3. “Good crew work made the magic,” Davidson said, even if a blown-out spinnaker kept the sail loft busy.
The Super 40s revelled in the chop of the Eastern Passage, with three sharp races in 14 knots. Sam Haynes’ Cape 31 Celestial strung together a trio of second places to climb the leaderboard, though Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood remains the division to beat.
Lay Day Ahead
With the 49er showdown bringing the curtain down, Race Week pauses for its traditional lay day. Crews will patch sails, sink a few cold ones poolside, and get ready for the breeze to build again on Thursday. Onshore, Furnace and the Fundamentals light up Front Street tonight, keeping Hamilton’s legendary party vibe alive for the regatta’s 40th anniversary edition.