Grand prix racers head for Airlie Beach

Regatta season gets underway down under

With late entries still coming in, around 100 racing yachts from across Australia and New Zealand are assembling in Airlie Beach Queensland for the 18th Annual Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, starting this coming Thursday, 9 August.

The Grand Prix IRC fleet has attracted some of the biggest names in Australian yacht racing. New Zealand's Rob Bassett is likely to be have the fastest boat in the IRC fleet, the Bakewell White-designed canting keel 52 footer, Wired.

Sydney sailor Ray Roberts won the regatta in 2006 with his DK46 Quantum Racing and then won at Hamilton Island. In 2007 the Quantum Racing team is returning to defend their title, this time with a new Quantum Racing, a turbo-charged Cookson 50.

On handicap Quest, a Transpac 52 owned by Bob Steel (who previously owned Nelson Marek's 43 and 46 of the same name) looks a good chance. Her first race in Australia produced an excellent division win in the Sydney to Southport race.

West Australian Alan Briety took line honours in the Sydney to Mackay race with Limit, a top performing Corby 49. Hong Kong sailor Karl Kwok won the Sydney to Hobart race in 1997 with a boat named Beau Geste. Ten years later, he is back with an exciting Reichel Pugh 45 of the same name.

With 20 boats expected to hit the start line, the 2007 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week Sports Boats fleet looks like the best of the year. Some fierce racing is expected with Bob Cowan's Stealthy and Peter Sorensen's Vivace likely to lead leading an exciting particularly strong, as is the Premier Cruising Division and the Cruising Division.

Meridien Managing Director Russell McCart will be racing his own Farr 40 Night Nurse in the IRC fleet. Today he commented. 'We are really pleased with the field. The quality of this year's fleet is exceptional and the competition will be first class."