Race officials battle tide and calm to salvage Airlie Beach action

Whitsunday Sailing Club faced a battle on Day 4 of Airlie Beach Race Week. An outgoing tide combined with negligible wind meant race officials had to work hard to salvage any racing at all.

Most of the fleet remained on shore. The yachts couldn't make it out to the marinas on the low tide, and the breeze—what little there was—teased the committee with promises of racing that failed to materialise in the early hours. Officials kept competitors updated as conditions remained indecisive and frustratingly light, but there was only so much they could do.

Finally, around 2pm, two classes got the call to head out: the F16/F18 class and the divisions competing in the 2023 Queensland Trailable Yacht & Sports Boat Championship. By then, a lightweight 4-5 knot breeze had kicked in, enough for the race committee to send the three divisions out on a two-lap windward/leeward course across Pioneer Bay's flat, glassy water.

For those who made it out, the delayed racing proved worthwhile. Andrew Jones, skipper of Cutting Edge, a Thompson 8 from Tasmania, claimed the Division 1 win—a result that lifted him into fifth place overall and within striking distance of the podium. Jones and his crew of six from Port Dalrymple Yacht Club had thrown themselves into their preparation, having only days to ready a recently refurbished boat before arriving from Launceston.

"We're still sorting things out," Jones said with a laugh, recalling how rudder supports had fallen off on the opening day—a problem solved with epoxy and quick thinking. "We sailed well," he said of his crew's performance on the water. "We had a good start and it went well from there—and we broke nothing!"

The win came despite the unusual course layout, a departure from earlier racing in the week. Jones's resilience extended beyond the water; he had competed at Airlie Beach the previous year on a larger Rogers 46 before returning with his current sports boat.

In Division 2, Jason Ruckert, sailing as Goggles aboard Mister Magoo, notched his third consecutive win, opening a three-point buffer over Mustard Cutter, helmed by Fletch Creedon of Tasmania. Tim Dodds' Mini Mako from New South Wales sits third, three points further back, with two days of racing remaining.

The F16/F18 class saw Eli Henebery and Andreas Rehberger, sailing Bolt Racing, seize the series lead on the windward/leeward course. Henebery acknowledged they started poorly—"a lousy start," as he put it—but capitalised on tactical positioning to earn the victory. Jam Em and Goodall Design filled the next two spots.

Despite the early frustration and lengthy delays, the persistence paid off. The officials' determination to give competitors racing when conditions allowed, and the sailors' patience during the long wait, meant the day delivered racing after all.