Black Jack Racks Up A Win - Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 4

Winds returned to light northerlies at Hamilton Island Race Week on day four of the six-day on-water program in the Whitsunday Islands of North Queensland, Australia.

Black Jack Photo: Kurt Arrigo

A new windward/leeward course around Yandala and Edwards Islands to the north-east of Hamilton Island befitted Peter Harburg’s Queensland 100-footer Black Jack. They took a first line honours win off Wild Oats XI from four starts, despite potentially handicapping themselves out with an individual recall at the start.

Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Black Jack’s stumble in Turtle Bay became their winning move when the credentialled crew of Tom Addis, Iain Percy (UK), Anthony Nossiter, Billy Merrington and skipper Mark Bradford, among others high-level sailors, opted for a different tack to the main bunch.

Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Harburg’s super-maxi headed offshore where the breeze incrementally built to a top-end 8 knots out of the north and they moved into first in the fleet, followed to the finish by Phil Turner’s RP66 Alive.
In race two the Oatley family’s Wild Oats XI evened the day’s score. 

Photo: Kurt Arrigo

“We cleaned them up nicely at the start, they managed to swing and tack off on port and we ended up in battle with the 50-footers and had to duck Alive,” Bradford said.

Photo: Kurt Arrigo

For the second island windward/leeward start the breeze marginally increased to 10 knots and combined with flatwater offshore conditions all IRC divisions completed their courses by late afternoon before the motor back to Hamilton Island harbour at dusk.

Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Dutch navigator Wouter Verbraak and Will Tiller driving Alive picked up their best result in race four, beating Wild Oats XI over the line and placing second to Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan on corrected time.

“Alive’s day was fantastic – we had a great first race and found ourselves in between the two 100-footers at the top mark. The TP52s have still got the upper hand on us," said Alive’s trim coach Mike Mottle.

Two handicap wins on Thursday August 23 has Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan now in front of Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban by two points.

IRC Division 2 

Ray Roberts’ Fast 40 Team Hollywood is edging away from its key challengers, Darryl Hodgkinson’s Carkeek 40 Victoire and fellow Sydneysider About Time, Julian Farren-Price’s Cookson 50.

IRC Division 3

Upwind and downwind in 10 knots of breeze is when Gerry Hatton’s Mat 12.45 Bushranger, with retired boat builder John McConaghy and owner Gerry Hatton sharing the driving, comes into its own.

“Bushranger is set up for those conditions; it was just right for us. Everything came together just nicely for us with a couple of good starts and getting the shifts right. Hopefully we get another windward/leeward tomorrow; we’ve got to put enough in the bank for the Lindeman Island Race, which might not suit us,”  said tactician Michael Fountain.

IRC Division 4

Graham Furtado’s Queensland X41 The Matrix is the IRC division 4 series leader.

“Racing’s been tight; it’s hard trying to beat the 47.7s around the track and we look forward to tight racing for the next couple of days. Whatever it’s going to be weather-wise will be. The regatta is still between Eagle Rock and us, and Popeyes is still in with a chance,” said navigator Ben Davis.

The forecast for the penultimate day of racing on Friday August 24 is partly cloudy with light winds at first, tending E-NE at 6-12knots during the afternoon.

Results for all divisions

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