Round the Whitsundays Race

“I’m taking the motor boat out next weekend,” a friend said.

“Oh yeah, not much breeze forecasted then?”.

“The Round the Whitsundays race is on; there’s never any wind.”

Lady Katherine crew for 2018 Round the Whitsundays race

The iconic 80 nautical mile anti-clockwise Round The Whitsundays yacht race is held in early July every year, and typically the weather conditions are light. That means it can be a long day and night on the water, so to keep up crew morale many tasty snacks are required.  Although regular dolphin and whale sightings (and soundings) also add to the excitement of sailing around one of the best cruising grounds in the world.

On the first Saturday of last month, it took Lady Katherine nearly two hours to wallow her way from the start line at Airlie Beach and out of Pioneer Bay into the breeze line of the Molle Channel. The calm conditions gave us an opportunity to chat to fellow competitors and friends on passing motor boats, and enjoy a cup of tea with a ginger nut biscuit (ginger a little superfluous on this calm day!).

Lady Katherine's impressive number one headsail framing the fleet at the start

Up close and personal in Pioneer Bay

Where's the breeze?

With empty cups stowed, on cue our first time hoisted number one head sail began to fill with a south easterly wind, and we rejoiced as Lady Katherine finally heeled over - ever so slightly but heeled all the same. We were racing at last! So too was everyone else; each skipper of each yacht deciding which side of the Molle Channel would be best to navigate to gain the edge on the others. Tactical manoeuvres were also being discussed on-board Lady Katherine. The local expertise of two commercial masters plus a visiting seasoned off-shore competitor, had us sailing straight down the middle of the channel with the tide at a speed of 7 knots. It was a fabulous sail, and the only one we were going to get. 

Sailing down the Molle Channel on-board Lady Katherine

Historic Dent Island lighthouse

Twister saying hello to southern tip of Dent Island

We led Division 3 (and a couple of Division 2 boats) all the way past Daydream Island, around the southern end of South Molle Island, across the Whitsunday Passage, along Dent Island past the lighthouse, around the corner, and…..stopped. Not a ripple on the water; not a breath of wind; a glass-out. We were going nowhere. And neither was anyone else. So we wallowed once again at a whopping speed of .2 of a knot, taking in the magnificence of Pentecost Island for the next few hours. 

Pentecost Island and Infarraction

Decisions had to be made. Do we persevere until the southerly change comes in at 3.00am, or do we call it a day and be tucked up in the berth by dark? After a round of the best Whitsunday homemade quiche while watching a dolphin pod lazily swim by, it was put to the vote: 5 to 4 for a return to Port of Airlie if our boat speed doesn’t increase to over a knot within the hour. I think we all knew we weren’t going to travel any faster for the time being – the weather forecasters are pretty accurate - so we retired from the race after 26 nautical miles. The iron sail was turned on, the red and white MPS  dropped, and away we motored around Hamilton Island, through Fitzalan Passage, across Whitsunday Passage to North Molle Island, and navigated the night sky into Pioneer Bay and the marina with a fridge full of food.

Our attempt at Round the Whitsundays race. You're supposed to go right around ALL the islands!

It was disappointing that we didn’t complete the race, even though we were all keen to do so. 

However, we couldn’t stand the pain of going nowhere for another 12 hours before a 35 knot wind slammed into us for the bracing finish home. There were other vessels willing to persevere though – five in total – which we greeted with a wave after a good night’s sleep when they slipped into the marina between 8 and 10 on Sunday morning. Well done to them all.

It wasn’t the first time Gary and I have been on a vessel that has withdrawn from the Round the Whitsundays race. Conditions were very similar back in 2005 on a friend’s yacht, Elyara, and we retired pretty much from the same position. Strangely, the previous year we won the race on handicap after 23 hours of racing. Of course, we were all much younger then, and much less time poor. 

Gary holding out the boom on board Elyara, 2005

Dawn on Round the Whitsundays race 2004 on board Elyara, the winner on handicap.

We’ll just have to see what next year brings!

The beautiful Lady Katherine

Whitsunday sailing on Lady Katherine

Since purchasing Lady Katherine, a Peterson Serendipity 43, last September and delivering her to Airlie Beach from Townsville, we have done some great sailing around Pioneer Bay and the Whitsunday islands.

The gentle art of sailing

We are regular contenders in the weekly Wednesday Twilight race hosted by the Whitsunday Sailing Club, usually with a not so regular crew. Every week brings a new set of enthusiastic sailors with varying skill levels, from complete first timers through to ocean crossing professionals. And every week brings new experiences with a whole load of fun for everyone as we sail around the triangular course. Well, we enjoy it anyway!

Wednesday Twilight Race start. Division 3 completes 2 laps around the triangular course

Plenty of room for everyone - join in or sit back and enjoy the ride!

Lady Katherine sails like a witch up the breeze

Last week we finally came first on handicap in Division 3, having won second or third place a few times over the last six months. We even made the local paper, the Whitsunday Times. And we have managed line honours on one or two occasions as well. Our efforts are rewarded with prizes donated by the club – we always make good use of the food and beverage voucher at the post race roast dinner buffet.

Pipped at the line for line honours, but had the last laugh with a win on handicap.

No matter what your experience or where you are from, join in the fun on Wednesday afternoons.

Winners are grinners. And save some money too!

The highlight destination of our boat ownership so far has been our Christmas sail to Bait Reef, 30 nautical miles north east from Airlie Beach. A pre-dawn start from Hayman Island had us hoisting sails in about 12 knots of easterly breeze; perfect conditions for us to be picking up a mooring some three hours later and snorkelling to our hearts content on the Great Barrier Reef.

Christmas Day snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef

Bait Reef all to ourselves.

In February, we held our first Weekend Navigator course; an on-water introduction to coastal navigation for recreational sailors, and for those commercial mariners who need to brush up on their skills.  The ability to plot running fixes on the AUS 252 chart increased in speed and accuracy as the day progressed, and as night fell, we sailed from Double Cones to the Molle Island group before returning to our berth in the Port of Airlie.

Teaching the finer points of coastal navigation

Our hopes of winning a second consecutive Warri Cup (with a different boat but same name!) were dashed this year. We crossed the line in fourth place but were handicapped to the tail end of the field in spinnaker division. Still, it wasn’t a bad effort for an inexperienced crew, who were well led by the very experienced skipper!

The MPS makes for a far easier hoist, especially for beginners.

Port of Airlie, home of Lady Katherine 

Lady Katherine is available for private charter and small group sailing tuition, and if you are wanting to get some commercial sea time check out our sea time events calendar.

A man and his boat.

My turn at the helm!

Hope to see you out on the water!

Introducing the new Lady K

Lady Katherine to be precise. And no, we didn't name her; it's just an extraordinary coincidence that she happened to be named as such, and be the boat that we could afford. However, I think it may have been an influencing factor in the purchase decision. It's also convenient that I can continue with the same blog!  And ironically, the renowned American yacht designer Doug Peterson named this boat design the Serendipity 43, so how could we not purchase her?

The Peterson 43 was specifically designed to compete in the 1980 Southern Ocean Racing Conference in IOR class for racer/cruisers. All Peterson 43's were originally built in production fibreglass, like Bacardi, who has competed in 28 Sydney to Hobart yacht races (the most ever sailed by an individual yacht!), but Lady Katherine is the only one built in aluminium, as far as we know.

Lady Katherine is in current commercial survey for 14 people and has been a sail training vessel since her inception in Brisbane. Originally named Envy II she did spend some time as an overnight charter vessel here in the Whitsundays (as all good racing yachts do at some stage), before making her home in Brisbane then Townsville and acquiring her new name. We thought it only fitting she return to Airlie Beach. So, on a northerly breeze in late September we delivered her home.

After dropping off the one way hire car in the city and all the gear required for our passage at the Townsville Yacht Club Marina, we prepared the new (well not so new really) Lady K for departure. Fuelled up and all safety gear checked, we dropped lines at midday and motored out through the leads of the Port of Townsville to begin another adventure. Weather and sea conditions were benign, and were expected to be so for the next two days. We radioed Townsville Coastguard of our intended passage, hoisted sails and turned south.

Departing Port of Townsville

The AIMS Research vessel, the Cape Ferguson, passing below us at Cape Cleveland

With me at the helm (along with Albert, the autopilot), Gary plotted our course on the chart down below in the navigation station. As darkness fell, we just managed to round Cape Bowling Green as planned, which was the major hazard of the passage. Donning self inflating life jackets we then proceeded with three hour watches throughout the night, using the GPS to plot regular fixes to ensure we were still on the rhumb line.

Cape Bowling Green, flatter than a shit-carter's hat.

On watch

Sailing at night is a wondrous experience. On a clear night the stars are countless and bright, and when the moon is full its reflection on the water is mesmerising. Safely navigating at night can be challenging, especially for a novice like me, as it's hard to determine a light's distance and therefore it becomes confusing as to which light it is in relation to the chart. At one stage I couldn't identify an amber light in the distance, which grew as we approached. It turned out to be an enormous bulk carrier (otherwise known as a 'yacht squasher'), anchored off the Abbot Point Terminal and waiting to load a portion of the 50 million tonnes of coal that is exported annually. We were awash in its bright lights as we quietly sailed past its near 200 metre length.

AUS286, one of three charts used in this passage

Calm northern Whitsundays waters - the engine was useful at this time

In the early hours of morning, the breeze dropped and we started to move into familiar waters; the Whitsundays. As we turned on the iron sail to make way, a pod of dolphins greeted us and swan with the boat for a few minutes. The dawn light revealed countless bluebottles floating on the surface, creating a breadcrumb like trail leading us around Grimston Point and into Pioneer Bay, off Airlie Beach. The wind picked up mid morning to carry us across the bay and have us tied up in Port of Airlie by midday; and fast asleep by 5.00pm. A 24 hour adventure averaging 6 knots over the 145 nautical mile journey, we are very happy with the new Lady Katherine as she sails beautifully. It ain't Wild Oats XI, but it's ours!

New home for Lady Katherine

A lunch date at Langford Island

A rendezvous with friends Whitsunday style involves blue skies, a 15 knot south easterly breeze and a sailing boat. As it was going to be our final sail on Lady K, an International 23, we were looking forward to a fabulous day out.

Another Lady K adventure

The best thing about sailing out to Langford Island is that it's a broad reach there and a broad reach back - perfect for our little catamaran. Skipper Gary enjoyed hand-steering her so much that Alfred (the autopilot) hardly got a look in. Neither did I for that matter!

Two and a half hours after leaving the Whitsunday Sailing Club we rafted up at Langford Island in time for lunch. Apart from the wonders of marine life, the midday entertainment was watching our friend go up the mast as we lounged leisurely on deck with a sandwich.

Lunch rendezvous

Up the mast

Bird life at Langford

Time was short that day, so after an hour or so we had to head for home. The easing wind made for fast flat water sailing - we clocked 15 knots at one stage. It was a hoot!

Although we have only owned Lady K for a short period of time we have had some adventures with her. Starting with the delivery from Mackay she's been through a cyclone, gone fishing and turtle watching, and won her first race, the Warri cup!

It's time to move her on as we have a new boat now: a bigger boat with only one hull; and you'll never guess what her name is. Stay tuned!

Lady K's new owner sailing out of Shute Harbour

Lady K goes fishing

It's admirable that Lady K can cater for varied interests on the Whitsunday waters. When family visited to help with post cyclone Debbie cleanup, the final job on the 'to do list' was "go fishing", so we were pleased that time and weather permitted. 

Sailing and trawling in the Whitsundays on-board Lady K

After a lovely beam reach sail to Pioneer Rocks and back, we anchored beside the Whitsunday Magic Wreck off Cannonvale Beach, still with the mainsail hoisted. The advantages of having an experienced sailor on-board - it makes less work for all.

Whitsunday Magic wreck is an ideal place to catch a few fish

We also had an experienced fisherman, as it only took 20 minutes to haul in two meal sized Pikey Bream for dinner. We can now tick that one off the list!

Lady K relaunch

At last, we are back on the water! With the hull damage repairs now complete from Tropical Cyclone Debbie, it was a perfect Whitsunday winter day when we relaunched 

Lady K.  A 12 knot south easterly breeze was ideal for our International 23 catamaran as we spent the afternoon sailing around Pioneer Bay with visiting friends. 

 

Lady K damage all fixed. Just waiting on a hatch which went missing during the cyclone.

We hoisted the mainsail and head sail and reached towards Hayman Island just past Funnel Bay and then turned back towards the mainland. The beach township of Airlie Beach was a constant backdrop as we sailed amongst the moored vessels, over to Pigeon Island, past the wreck of Whitsunday Magic and into Turtle Bay to see if we could spot, yes, you guessed it, some turtles (which we did).  

Yay! On the water again. Perfect conditions.

Eloise enjoying sailing on Pioneer Bay

Liam at the helm

Gary relaxing in the deck chair as he manages the lines

The best place on Lady K for a lie down. Whitsunday Magic wreck in background.

As the Wednesday twilight racers prepared for the 4.30pm start gun, we returned to the Whitsunday Sailing Club jetty to haul the boat out while it was quiet. We need to familiarise ourselves with getting the boat in and out with the tractor, so twilight racing is out for now until we have a bit more light and we know what we are doing.

Tractor haul out. Photo J. Ford.

On the move. Photo J. Ford

Gary, the tractor master. Photo J. Ford

After hosing down Lady K and parking her back on the lawn, it was time for sunset drinks and dinner on the balcony. Looking forward to our next trip; overnight camping on an island beach somewhere.

Sunset view from the Whitsunday Sailing Club balcony