Hamo Race Week - Entries Hit 150

Having been a late starter on the keelboat racing scene, Tam Faragher is certainly out to make up for lost time — and one of the best ways for him to do that is to make an annual appearance at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2010.

This week, the Brisbane-based sailor made a mark on the 27th staging of the popular winter regatta by being the 150th entry. It’s a milestone which he hopes will bring a rub-off in the form of good results, organisers said.

“I didn’t get seriously involved in any sort of sailing, especially racing, until I was in my early 40s,” said Faragher, who will be racing his Beneteau 44.7, Ultimate Positioning, in the IRC Cruising Division.

“As soon as I got the bug, I was hooked — I couldn’t get enough of it.

“I love sailing in the Whitsundays, and when it comes to racing you can’t beat Race Week, so by being part of it each year I get the best of both worlds,” he said.

With there being just six weeks to the start of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week on August 20, officials said registration of entries is accelerating. On current projections there will be between 180 and 200 yachts competing.

“It’s an impressive number when you consider Race Week is purely a keelboat regatta, and that almost every one of the yacht owners, and the crew, has to make a significant effort to be here,” said Hamilton Island’s CEO, Glenn Bourke. “Our big aim each year is to make sure everyone has the highest level of fun on and off the water, so it’s nice to see those efforts being rewarded.”

For more information, visit www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au

For any additional information, contact Promotions Manager, Rob Mundle: phone 0417 323 573; (07) 5527 1126
or email: rob.mundle@bigpond.com

Photo: Close combat. Yachts in a cruising division at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week enjoy close racing in the truest sense. (Photo – Ciaran Handy).