Entries for Whitsunday Sailing Club’s (WSC) Ocean Dynamics and Mount Gay Airlie Beach Race Week 2024 continue to flow in and competition is set to ignite in the Trailable Yachts and Sports Boat class, while new support sponsors sign up for the popular Queensland regatta.
Akin to the other classes taking part in the 36th running of Airlie Beach Race Week, numbers are growing in the Trailable and Sports Boats, which has attracted new blood.
Expresso Martini is making her ABRW debut, but her co-owner, Judi Marshall, is not. She explains: “We bought Expresso Martini a couple of years ago from the Gold Coast, but excluding the last two years, I’ve done the last six or seven Race Weeks as crew on other people’s yachts.”
Marshall says of the Ross 780e she owns with husband, Steve Brierley, “We’re working directly with Greg Hammon at the Club (WSC) to get a group 780s to make a separate division. That’s the hope.”
Marshall and Brierley are representing Tasmania and Queensland. “I’m a FIFO (fly in fly out) who spends time in both places, but the boat is based at Townsville Sailing Club and at least one of our crew is from Townsville,” she says of Helena May’s co-owner/skipper Lyndy Sawbridge, a regular on the podium at SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week.
“We have a highly skilled crew. My husband Steve is sailing master on Mayfair, a Sydney Hobart competitor and we have a sailmaker and others. Our only problem is we have four skippers and only one foredeckie!
“We love Airlie Beach,” Marshall continued, “as you have a lot of options of things to do compared to other northern races and regattas. There’s a variety of places to go and a lot of different people to mix with and it’s not just all the top end boats.
Other serious contenders in the class include Thompson 7 and 8 designs. In the ‘8’s are the likes of Andrew Jones’ Cutting Edge (Tas) and Dave Eickmeyer’s Rush (Vic). Hard to beat too, will be Andrew York’s Reo 8.5, Like Oxygen (NSW).
Jan and Peter Claxton’s approach to the event is different to the competitors. Their company, Ocean Rafting, is a new support sponsor of ABRW.
“We’ve been here (Airlie Beach) 23 years and have three generations of family involved now. So many of our team have done their training at Whitsunday Sailing Club; 50 percent joined us as crew and then went to the Club to obtain Coxswain and Skipper’s certification, so we’ve enjoyed grass roots involvement with the Club over the years,” Jan Claxton says.
“Our involvement with Airlie Beach Race Week is supporting Whitsunday Sailing Club because of our involvement with them. It’s also because we have the maritime connection in common and it’s about supporting local events,” she said.
To enter ABRW and for all information, visit the new official website at: www.abrw.com.au
For all information on Mobile Power Trailers, visit: https://mobilepowertrailers.com.au/
Contributed with thanks to Di Pearson.
Expresso Martini and crew are ready to face their foes. Photo credit: Judi Marshall
