Growing fleet for Sunferries Magnetic Island serie
In only its second year, the Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week entry list has jumped significantly. It is now already a third of the size of the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week series, which has now been running for almost two decades. 
'Wired, leads the IRC fleet. Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week Day 3'
Peter Campbell ©
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The warm weather winter series will be sailed on the blue waters of Cleveland Bay. Race Week commences on Friday September 5th and runs through until Tuesday September 9th.
Last year's inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week was a great success, with Tasmania's Harold Clarke and his Invincible crew taking the overall winning prize, just pipping hometown favourite Zoe in the last race of the series.
The glamour boat of this years IRC racing fleet will be the Rob Bassett's New Zealand campaigned Bakewell-White 52 Wired which is currently blasting away from a top quality Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week.
The latest boat to register for IRC racing is Kachina, Phillip McGuire's McGuire 11.3 from the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club. Having raced at Hamilton Island Race Weeks and competed in the Port Hinchinbrook regatta, Kachina will be hoping to give the top performing IRC yachts such as Zoe, (Wayne Millar), Wired (Rob Bassett - NZL) and Mach 1 (John Stokes) some stiff handicap competition.
Spyderman, Brian Lewthwaites Spyder 22 Mk 11, will be sure to join Guilty Pleasures, Leon Thomas' Thompson 7 in a dash or two across Cleveland Bay.
Skipper Lewthwaites has never raced her before and knows nothing of her performance or history other than the boat came from Sydney. Magnetic Island Race Week is sure to be a fun learning curve for her crew.
One of the recent boats to join the ranks include Aussie Rules skippered by Dick Cerny, although being a local from the Townsville Cruising Yacht club, he is certainly not trying to escape the southern chilly blasts many of us are suffering at present.
Purchased in 1989, the Beneteau Oceanis 500 is well travelled, having sailed as far a field as the Caribbean and into North American waters. In 2004 Aussie Rules sailed via the Panama Canal on the Coconut Milk Run to Australia.
Since arriving in Australia Aussie Rules has contested longer races, including the Sydney to Southport, as well as sailing to Tasmania, around the South Coast and back up to Townsville.
She will be competing against another recent entrant Black Rose, a Bord Ketch skippered by Rod Hart. Black Rose is a big 20 tonne, slink but comfortable cruising boat and her skipper has no expectations about winning a race. Hart has entered Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week 'just to have fun.'
Both Aussie Rules and Black Rose will be competing in the Cruising Non Spinnaker division.
Magnetic Island itself offers family and friends a wide variety of activites and accommodation options along with spectacular beaches and views and is just a short Sunferries ride back to Townsville.
And skippers if your quick and interested in sailing in this year's event you can still contact organisers to receive a DVD of last year's Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week and it is not too late to enter.
NOR and On Line entry as well as further information are available at the official website www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
by Event media 
Margaret River or Osborne Park (severne shop), WA
