40th Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 2
by Lisa Ratcliff 18 Aug 22:16 NZST
16-23 August 2025
40th Hamilton Island Race Week - Day 2 © Salty Dingo
Two days into progressive results and divisional battles are taking shape at Hamilton Island Race Week presented by AMEX.
Today's Dent Passage starts for HI Yellow, Orange and Pink divisions, Trailer Yachts, and both Hamilton Island Multihull Divisions were postponed until the trade winds were established, shortly after midday. The SE-E breeze increased across the racetrack to 10-12 knots across the sun-drenched afternoon.
The Eastern starters stuck to the published schedule, rolling off in the 6 knot sou'easter for their scenic island courses. They converged at Denman Island with the rest of the 155 plus Race Week fleet in a stunning kaleidoscope of spinnakers.
Watch day 2 racing highlights
Gerry Hatton's Sydney-based Matt 1220 Bushranger leads the good-looking IRC Super 40 division, their crew calibre, plus conditions suited to the boat, light winds and flat seas adding a second place today to yesterday's corrected time win.
Rating Division 1 top honours went to Marcus Blackmore's TP52 Hooligan from Mark Spring's TP52 Highly Sprung.
Helming Hooligan is Gavin Brady who is fresh off a second at the recent Admiral's Cup in the team's series as helm and team manager for Karl Kwok's Beau Geste, a sistership to Hooligan.
"Marcus and Karl have owned very similar boats over the years and as we're both learning, we're passing information between the two teams," Brady said, adding "There's been really good cooperation."
Blackmore's various Hooligans have amassed five Race Week divisional trophy wins and the owner and entrant at the inaugural Race Week in 1984 is determined the 40th anniversary will add another to his impressive collection.
Red crew shirts are a stand-out colour at Race Week and the most recognisable are the Wild Oats X team, also called the 'red shirts'.
The crew of Obsession are the 'other' red shirts. Chris Noble's Ufo 34, Mark II, is registered under the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club and racing in Hamilton Island Orange division.
As a result of their average age, among the five aboard there is one injured left arm, an injured right arm, a damaged right knee, and an injured left knee.
The eldest on board, Judith Coombes, is the only fully functioning crewmember. Today she flew the boat's 'blooper,' an unusual companion sail to the spinnaker from the 1970s and 80s that had other crews pulling their phones out to take photos. 'Dinosaur' may have been mentioned.
Launched in 1982, Obsession is regarded a classic design and at 4.5 tons is heavy in today's terms. "It's not a current-day sports boat," Coombes laughs.
Race Week's reputation extends beyond the stunning tropical racetrack and conditions, a fact that is not lost on the Obsession crew. "We are appreciating the margs (margaritas) and the margs (pizzas)," Coombes admitted.
Showcasing the connection of Hamilton Island to Olympic classes, the Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49er Exhibition Series continued today delivered plenty of rivalry in the amphitheatre of Dent Passage.
While the Australians started out on top of the overall leaderboard, Club Car skippered by Otto Henry with Shaun Connor edged out by the Kiwis on Palm Beach - Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush - whose two wins and a third pushed them into the lead.
Buckingham Marine Services, with Australian's Harry Price and Max Paul are sitting in third, followed by North Sails, who finished day two with a win for skipper Mattias Coutts and crew Oscar Gunn. In the FX class, AMEX skippered by Australians Laura Harding with Annie Wilmot continue to hold top spot.
The Trans-Tasman 49er exhibition contest will be decided tomorrow with two more races and a double points final race from 1530 at the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, with a presentation following at the main stage on Front Street.
There will be an earlier start for the Nautilus Marine Classic long and medium distance race, Multihull Racing division the first off in Dent Passage at 9.40am on Tuesday August 19.
The forecast for the long race is SE-E 10-14kts and more breeze is expected on Wednesday, the lay day before the second half of racing commences.
Results available daily here
All Race Week details, videos and images are available on the website and social channels.
More history on Hamilton Island Race Week here.