Consistency counts

Robinson said the stronger conditions suited Miyu, with the crew continuing to refine the boat as the regatta progresses.

“It was pretty strong out there today and sailing into it was tough, but the boat handled the conditions really well. We were impressed with how well it tracked, and the result showed that,” Robinson said.

“We’re still dialling the boat in. We came here last year very underprepared, but a couple of regattas and three ocean races this year have prepared us much better for this Race Week.

I don’t pretend to understand the handicapping, but these are our best results yet, so fingers crossed we can keep it going.”

Competition is equally tight in Hamilton Island Blue, where Wild Thing moved to the top of the standings with line honours and a handicap victory. Walter Carpenter’s Caol Ila finished just 25 seconds behind on corrected time, leaving the two boats tied at the top overall.

In Division One, the TP52s Highly Sprung, owned and helmed by Mark Spring, and Gusto, owned and helmed by Lee Hawksley, sit at the top of the IRC and TP52-specific TPR standings.

The Super40 Plus division is also developing into a close contest. Greg Watson’s Touche42, representing Southport Yacht Club, leads on SFR rating, while Race Week stalwart Ray Roberts and Team Hollywood have opened their campaign with two consecutive IRC victories.

Team Hollywood tactician David Chapman said a conservative sail choice helped the crew remain competitive as the conditions changed throughout the race.

“It wasn’t as windy as we expected, but we stayed conservative with the J4 and reached the top mark in good shape alongside the other 40-footers,” Chapman said.

We all came downwind together before we passed Black Sparrow, then FOMO destroyed a spinnaker. Halfway between Pentecost and Hamilton Island, the breeze increased and shifted, so we had to jib reach back towards Hamilton Island.

“From there, we had a spinnaker run into the finish with 22 knots blowing through the passage. The finish was probably the best part of the day.”

In Rating Division Two, Bruce McCracken’s Ikon has established an early advantage at the top of the standings.

Close finishes are also reshaping the Hamilton Island Pink and Yellow divisions. Zoe, Phoenix49 and Kerb are among the contenders in Pink, while Stratcare Racing Bluebottle and 51st Project are in the mix in Yellow.

Hamilton Island Orange is proving particularly competitive, with only two points separating the top five boats. With 20 entries, it is one of the largest divisions at this year’s Race Week.

Racing continues with the Nautilus Marine Classic races, with all fleets starting from Dent Passage for the traditional procession north through the Whitsundays.

Hamilton Island Race Week continues until Saturday 22 August.

hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au