With the crews of the Racer/Cruiser & Trailable classes sitting much closer to the water the sight of them skimming the seas ahead of the larger boats made us appreciate how long a race it was for these divisions.

Day 1 of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week saw the fleet blast north to the Molle Islands.

Far East Under Spinnaker – Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2017 Crosbie Lorimer http://www.crosbielorimer.com

Reichel Pugh Yachts – Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2017 Crosbie Lorimer http://www.crosbielorimer.com

The four Reichel Pugh girls – Wild Oats XI, Black Jack 100, Alive & Nano, aka Wild Oats X driven by HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark – which comprise 66% of the IRC fleet caught our eye flying north at speeds up to 25 knots and giving our chase boat driver a real challenge to stay in touch.

by Bow Caddy Media – Dale Lorimer