Hamilton Island Race Week 40 Crowns Multiple Champions

Over the week's racing across Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays, a series of storylines emerged that came into sharper focus on Saturday's final racing day. Marcus Blackmore's TP52 Hooligan, skippered by Gavin Brady, steadily accumulated corrected-time wins through the series, and by the closing races had captured its fourth victory of the week—all but assuring Blackmore of his sixth Race Week triumph.

Navigating patchy south-easterly winds that ranged from 12 to 14 knots, competitors grappled with tricky currents and tides that demanded both skill and local knowledge. But beyond the tactical challenges on the water, the week's broader drama played out in unexpected ways.

On the Hamilton Island Yacht Club's Bommie Deck, an afternoon proposal saw an unsuspecting bride-to-be say "yes" while taking a break to watch the racing alongside her sailing-connected circle of friends—a moment that rivalled any trophy for the memory books.

Back on the racecourse, David Hamilton's Farr 40 Seeking Alpha from Sydney had progressively outclassed the Rating 2 division fleet, earning its championship berth well before the final day. Ray Roberts' Botin 40 Team Hollywood, a familiar fixture at Race Week since Roberts first sailed the regatta in 1984, held strong position across both IRC and Super 40 handicap divisions heading into Saturday.

But perhaps no narrative captured imaginations quite like Graeme Etherton's 36-year-old Crowther 32 Windspeed. The small catamaran—affectionately known as "The Boat"—had travelled from Townsville to compete in the Multihull Hamilton Island White division against modern giants including Terry Robinson's lightweight Cure55 Miyu, a carbon-fibre 55-footer representing the cutting edge of yacht design. Yet through the week's racing, The Boat sat in equal first place with the Gunboat 48 Mololo, crushing the pointscore despite being the oldest and smallest competitor in its class.

The handicapping system that levels the playing field—enabling a 32-foot catamaran to genuinely compete against a 55-footer—delighted Etherton. "It's good to race against the quality of the boats here; and it's challenging with the current and tides," he said. "Everyone's very gentlemanly on the start line—it's refined racing—and they go past me pretty quickly."

His calm assessment reflected the spirit dominating the regatta. Navigator Steve Taylor, new to Roberts' Team Hollywood program, described it as a "well-oiled machine" governed by discipline and perfection. In the Super 40 division, Sam Haynes' Cape 31 Celestial held second place behind Team Hollywood while leading the Cape 31 fleet—Haynes bringing dual Rolex Sydney Hobart victories to the contest.

As the week concluded, the 40th anniversary of Hamilton Island Race Week had delivered what the event promises: a meeting place where vintage classics and modern racers, veterans of four decades and first-time competitors, ambitious tacticians and refined gentlemen sailors all converge on the same waters with equal opportunity to succeed.