6:54 PM Sun 9 Aug 2009 GMT
World Heritage listed Magnetic Island, Townsville, is the venue for the annual Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week. Set in a beautiful tropical location, for a growing number of sailors its a fresh adventure on the Australasian offshore scene.
Come and take part in the biggest 'up and coming' regatta on the National Sailing Calendar!
Run under the auspices of the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club and now in its third year, Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week invites suitably found racing and cruising yachts to compete for a prize pool containing $10,000.00 in cash prizes, trophies and much more.
Sailed in the pristine waters of Cleveland Bay and around Magnetic Island, Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week presents a series of buoy course, passage and around the island races. The regatta now offers six classes of racing over five days, from Friday 4th to Tuesday 8th September 2009. With an appealing shore-side program, this is one event you don't want to miss!
Leading race and regatta official Denis Thompson from Sydney has been the Principal Race Officer for the last two regattas and is lining up for his third Magnetic Island event.
Denis says this is one of his favourite events, and he goes to quite a few.
Today he explained why. 'Sailors who have sailed here over the last two events are saying Magnetic Island is like the regattas of years ago. Certainly this regatta is a little more laid back than most.
'It's definitely a growing regatta. There's a lot of talk about entering this regatta from sailors in southern states and many are looking forward to doing it, either this year or in years to come.
'It's not hard to understand why. I'd not visited Magnetic Island until I came here for the 2007 regatta. The whole scene blew me away; it's a beautiful venue, a magnificent island and its laid back and far enough away from Townsville and the city lights. Yet it's close enough for convenience and travelling.
'Very good sailing conditions; lighter breezes, flat water, perfect for sports boats, cruisers and of course race boats.
'The Round the Island Race is my favourite. The whole northern side of Magnetic is quite spectacular; from Orchid Rocks, across Horseshoe Bay, onto Five Beaches Bay and across to West Point is quite unique, not the least like any of the other coastal islands most of us have seen.'
Terry Dodd from Sunferries, who have backed this Regatta from its inception, said today 'The 2008 event was very successful and we are really pleased to be a part of this regatta again in 2009. We are looking forward to seeing the expansion of the social festivities with the Race Week Shoreside Party on the Saturday.
'Registrations so far suggest we are on track to reach our anticipated fleet of 50 boats this year and it's great to see that many of the entrants are from outside of the region, with one even coming across from Western Australia.'
'We believe this regatta will continue to grow into a key regatta on the national sailing calendar, along with being a signature event for Townsville and Magnetic Island.'
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It’s a serious business having fun ! - Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week 2008 - John Clinton
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The event, through partnering with Tourism Queensland, Townsville Enterprise and Townsville City Council, has produced a 20-minute magazine style television programme, highlighting the 2008 event and the destination.
Alternatively, you can watch the short video click at
www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au/
If you are interested in bringing your boat to the event in 2009, but would like to know more, you can register to receive the 2009 Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week DVD. This DVD will give you a taste of the great time you can have racing and partying, while also having a fantastic time exploring and experiencing the very scenic and almost untouched Magnetic Island.
Register here to discover more about Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week
You can also enter on line right now at
www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
With competitor numbers expected to reach 50 boats, and significant interest from local and regional Sports Boat crews, event organisers are looking forward to including a Sports Boat division in the Sailing Program for the first time in 2009.
In response to growing interest the regatta will also benefit from the addition of a Multihull division in 2009. Multihulls are a popular type of boat and are often overlooked in regattas, having to compete among larger fleets with the monohull competitors.
Event Coordinator, Stephanie Cairns said the addition of the Multihull division will offer those with multihulls the option to sail courses better suited to their boats, making it a more competitive regatta for everyone.
Other divisions include IRC Racing, Performance Handicap Racing, Cruising with Spinnaker and Cruising Non Spinnaker bringing the divisions on offer to a total of six.
The regatta will be based at Peppers Blue on Blue, Magnetic Island, with plenty of opportunities for spectators, wives and family to take in the racing action.
Competitors can register their boat online at
www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
or register their availability as a crewmember through 'Crew Register', a new online service via the event website.
For more information visit the website or contact Event Coordinator, Stephanie Cairns at Sunferries (07 4726 0800.
by Event Media
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