Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - It seems the wind has almost stopped

4:05 AM Fri 26 Aug 2011 GMT

'Disappearing into the mist - Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2011 - Day 6' Sail-World.com /AUS &copy Click Here to view large photo

After five days of heavy winds at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2011, it seems today as if the wind has stopped, with top gusts so far today hardly more than 15 knots.

For a short while there was indeed very little breeze in Dent Passage, with low cloud and fog on the Cruising Division start line.

Cruising Division 2 - Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2011 - Sail-World.com -AUS &copy Click Here to view large photo

It's been an interesting regatta so far, In the SB3's where Hamilton Island CEO Glen Bourke cleared out to win the series. In others like IRC A, led by Marcus Blackmore's very well campaigned Hooligan and IRC, with Daryl Hodgkinson's Beneteau First 45 Victoire, dropping a second, these seems to be little doubt about the results, it others its very tight.

In IRC C, the battle between Matt Owen's Sydney 36 Local Hero and Peter Sorensen's Sydney 36CR The Philosophers Club is intense to say the least.

Performance Racing is tight, in Division 1, Belle and Eagle Rock tied at the top and there are five boats in Division 2, within two points of each other.

The biggest of them all are the Cruising Divisions include some iconic boats, Condor of Bermuda and Hammer of Queensland in Division 1, an amazing 39 boats in division 2, another tight battle in division 3 between Kaos and Knee Deep and in Cruising Non-spinnaker, the beautiful old pearling lugger Ruby Charlotte, currently sailing with a handicap of 0.400

After tomorrow's final Molle Race, all will be decided and then the caravan moves on to Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week, where racing will start next Friday off Townsville. 87 boats at last count and this makes it one of the fastest growing regattas 'down under'

You still have time to enter in your boat is in FNQ waters. www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au

by Rob Kothe & the Sail-World Team